Once Upon A Dream
by Jinx333
Summary: Settled into university as a first year, a closet anime/manga otaku named Mei meets Igarashi, who is recovering from the constant competition and pining for an old love. Is Mei just too similar to what he's known and loved?
1. Chapter 1

"... _Things I almost remember._

 _And a song someone sings, once upon a December._

 _Someone holds me safe and warm..."_

-Anastasia; Once Upon A December

Mei felt like she was constantly pretending to be normal—whatever that meant. Since a transformation in high school, she'd managed to bury the embarrassing avatar that was bullied throughout middle school. Reinventing a worthless self, her mind rationalized while the introverted, otaku heart deep inside despaired. Her dream was to be a manga artist.

She wondered if college would be any different—far away from the expectations that high school consumed. However, after snagging the popular president of the soccer club, Mei found life was remaining as tactless at college as her boyfriend coolly remained beside her.

'Me or _that_. You have to pick,' Koya had demanded with that appearance of absolute irritation. Confused by the implications of such a request, Mei chose to please him. Now as a closet otaku, she realized that she'd given up a part of herself. The red string wrapped around the desire to be a manga artist severed.

Still, when Mei closed her eyes at night, pictures of being held by various anime/manga/video game men flashed behind closed lids. Hidden in her phone were countless fanfiction pieces that she craved to upload after writing, or read again and again.

Truthfully, Mei found her smartphone to be a godsend—a click of a button either hid or displayed that secret part of herself. It was one of the things that kept her going living in this half life of sorts.

The day that university classes started was like anyone other day, really. Arriving nearly an hour early, Mei had jitters at the new manga chapter that came out. Would Yona finally get her act together and realize Hak...? Fifteen minutes later, Mei groaned in despair at the manga chapter on her phone. It would be another month of yearning, after all.

"Uh, you okay?" The voice brushed near the shell of her ear, jolting Mei as she paled. An attractive man sat next to her; a pair of eyes reminiscent of painted blades of grass amidst various seasons, yet those orbs were focused on the end of the manga chapter that lit up her phone's screen.

"Ahh, you're one of those," he smiled but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

Mei felt her face bloom with heat, secondary to the shame and guilt she experienced tearing her apart inside. Why did she have to hide this side of her? Why wasn't it more accepted? It was like she had been caught doing something dirty or wrong; yet, was it?

Utterly exhausted and embarrassed at the exchange with this stranger, Mei sought shelter behind a curtain of brown hair. It was a automatic defense to anticipated criticism—and an action she hadn't given into since those pathetic days of being bullied.

"Hey... I didn't mean anything untoward or malicious about it," the man attempted to explain with a soft voice. He rubbed the back of his neck and continued, "A friend of mine is actually into that stuff, too. Extremely. I kinda forgot that other people can be so discrete about it."

He laughed, as though recalling something. The weight of his stare burned into Mei—her heart pounding too quickly as she tried to get the coloring on her face back to normal.

The man shifted in his seat awkwardly before reaching forward, two fingers brushing under her chin to lift her blazing face, while his other hand tucked locks of hair behind her ear.

"There. That's better," he smiled charmingly but gulped when they made eye contact. A light blush dusted his cheeks when he withdrew his hands. "Sorry," he apologized with a slight dazed look in his eyes. "I didn't mean to touch you so carelessly. Forgive me."

"I—it's okay," Mei's voice cracked painfully, causing the blush to intensify on her own face.

"You sure? I can move seats if you would be more comfortable," the man suggested, rising to his feet as if expecting her to wholeheartedly agree.

"No!" A trembling hand shot out, fisting the sleeve of the man's shirt. His eyes widened at the action yet remained silent waiting for her to continue. "Err, sorry... I didn't mean—that is you don't have to change seats because of my stupidity."

The man blinked back at her, bewildered yet curious, "Stupidity? I don't think understand but okay." Polite grass-like orbs returned to the hand still fisting the fabric of his sleeve, and Mei released her hand at once—apologizing profusely.

He simply smiled and shook his head, "I'm Yuusuke Igarashi, by the way."

"Nice to meet you, Igarashi-san" was her response, giving a polite bow in introductions. "My name is Mei Hatori. Please take care of me."

Throughout class, both Mei and Igarashi flashed looks of curiosity at each other—especially when he caught her doodling on her notebook.

Igarashi eyed the doodle of the Wings of Freedom crest, flashing a 'of course' expression.

"A fan of Attack on Titan, as well." He whispered the tease, keeping his eyes on the professor with a busy hand scribbling down notes. "Who's your favorite? Capitan Levi?"

Mei grinned genuinely at the reference, drawing Igarashi's attention. "Mikasa, actually." His eyebrows shot up at _that—_ mind immediately falling into the gutter due to his friend's extensive BL conditioning. "Levi's a second for me. Have _you_ watched?"

"Mmm," he affirmed casually. "In between practices and such. It's a popular anime."

Not everyone had that mindset, Mei reminded herself before replying, "I suppose you're right. Still, I didn't expect that."

"Appearance aren't everything," he shrugged, briefly glancing over at her.

After class ended and everyone was packed up, Mei stiffened as something touched her shoulder. With a breath of confusing relief, she saw it was Igarashi.

"Listen...could we maybe exchange—" Igarashi began and then jolted himself, as though surprised at his words.

Mei stared back in confusion. "Exchange...?"

"Um, you know what...nevermind," he stated, scratching the back of his head with a slight smile. However, he wouldn't meet her gaze. "Forget I said anything."

Through a furrowed brow, Mei mused, "Alright. Take care, Igarashi..."

A grin broke across his face, "Ah, I like that without the honorifics. Can I call you Mei-chan?"

"Uuuh... I suppose that's fine," she replied, once again blushing at his casualness.

"Great! I gotta go to practice, so see you around. Take care, Mei-chan," he said, sticking his tongue out before turning around and heading off.

And Mei, feeling inspired and a happy mess, decided to start drawing again. There was still time before meeting her boyfriend after soccer practice after all.

 **A/N** :

 **I don't own anything recognizable in the Kiss Him Not Me manga! Also, I don't own Attack on Titan, Yona of The Dawn, or Anastasia.**

I'm finally deciding to exorcise the obsession I am having with Igarashi, so I hope you all enjoyed it so far because the lack of Igarashi stories had me in distress as I near the end of the manga chapters.

Reviews are lovely!


	2. Yearning

**I don't own Kiss Him, Not Me! Or Anastasia!**

"... _Glowing dim as an ember. Things my heart used to know, things it yearns to remember..."_

 _-Anastasia; Once Upon A December_

Igarashi instantly disliked the captain of the soccer club. Koya Sato was arrogant—dripping with determination to be heard and validated for his accomplishments.

Even after practice, Sato flapped his gums, "Put yourselves to work boys. As much as I'd love it, I'm not the only one on the field."

Nana rolled his eyes, shrugging on his t-shirt. "I swear that guy is too in love with himself to even attract a girl." Despite the deep respect he contained for the coach of the soccer team, Igarashi questioned his judgement for the choice of captain as well.

Igarashi silently rubbed at a wet spot on his cheek, a reminder of the cold shower he'd just experienced.

"Met any cute girls yet?" Nana inquired, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. Nana had been one of first to bounce back from Kae's rejection.

He quickly dressed in a simple pair of blue jeans and a white button-up shirt. "Not really," Igarashi responded with a shrug of his shoulders. "What about that otaku chick you were telling me about?"

Igarashi sent Nana a dark look.

"Yeah, I'd feel the same if the girl was an anime freak," Sato invaded their conversation with a laugh. "Otaku or reality, there is no middle ground."

Igarashi and Nana blinked at their captain—rendered speechless. Both of the boys would never had said such a thing to Kae, and to make a person choose like that was unfathomable. Wouldn't the girl just pick whatever waifu popped into her brain?

"You would make her choose?" Nana voiced their concern. At one time they might have agreed with the captain, but that was when they were immature and inconsiderate. Igarashi reasoned that he would never want to be forced to choose between soccer and someone; it was cruel.

"Of course," Sato laughed, scratching the back of his head. "And my girlfriend doesn't mind. She knows that I have no shortage of girls if she did."

"Yo, Sato. Get over here," the coach called from his office. After the man in question took his leave, Igarashi and Nana released disbelieving sighs.

"His poor girlfriend. Shit," Nana grumbled as they walked out of the locker room. Behind him, Igarashi froze with his hand still on the door. "Iga?"

However, Igarashi's perplexed gaze remained on the small figure leaning against the wall, phone propped sideways like she was watching a video while she waited. With a smile, Igarashi figured it was probably an anime. What was Mei doing here?

"Manga girl?" Igarashi called out to her teasingly, finally shutting the door. "Are you stalking me?"

Mei' attention immediately snapped up, a blush taking over her cheeks as she caught sight of him, "Igarashi-san?"

He smiled down at her as she processed the rest of his words.

Damn; she was pretty in a mousy sort of way.

She shook her head vehemently as she defended, "It's not like that, I swear! This is a coincidence."

Nana moved into their conversation, causing him some concern. "So you're not here to ask Iga on a date," Nana raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Mind if I ask you then?"

An annoyed Igarashi glared at him, "Nana!"

Taken aback by the conversation, Mei's mouth fell open and then closed, then repeated the action—as though pretending to be a fish.

"It would be best if you both stopped panting," Sato interrupted and slammed the locker room door shut. "Mei is mine."

As Sato wrapped a possessive arm around her, Nana found the situation hilarious "Otaku chick is the captain's girl?"

Reading the atmosphere in the room, Igarashi grabbed Nana's shirt collar. "Nana, shut the hell up. Please," he urged in a whisper.

Mei looked back to Sato, complexion bordering on ghostly. "It's nothing, Koya."

She fidgeted awkwardly, not knowing what to expect from this conversation, yet dreading the way Koya pasted on a fake grin. He was furious but smoothed the features of his handsome face. Meanwhile, Mei still could not tell him that she secretly watched anime and read manga, let alone that she'd begun drawing manga again.

Was she really that afraid of him?

"Come with me," Sato hissed and grasped Mei's upper arm too tightly—a tiny wince fissured her composed face. Thankfully, Igarashi witnessed Mei pull herself away from Sato as soon as they were on the privacy of the soccer field.

But the more he watched the two gesturing in argument, the quicker the colour drained from Igarashi's face. He wanted to intervene, shield her in his arms, and carry her as far away from that asshole as possible.

Finally, Igarashi managed to relax when Sato stormed off the field, leaving Mei seated on the benches.

"Nana," he rubbed the back of his neck, attempting to make up an excuse for staying behind alone.

"Ya ya," Nana waved him off, understanding where he was heading. "Just try not to stir up too much trouble."

As Igarashi walked across to the field with a soccer ball in his hands, he noticed Mei vigorously wiping her eyes.

"Hey," he said, dropping the ball and rolling back and forth with his foot. "You okay?"

Mei buried her face in the palms of her hands and practiced a couple controlled breaths before responding. "Not really."

He curved the ball to roll up onto his foot, bounced it deftly from knee to each thigh. "I figured as much. Why do you hide it from him?" Igarashi knew the answer but wanted to hear it directly from her lips. "The otaku stuff," he clarified to her questioning glance.

"Because I could not give up either of them, I suppose. I've always wanted to be a manga artist. And then Koya asked me to choose but..." From her seat on the bench, Mei clenched her fists as she explained.

"You couldn't," Igarashi finished her thought, allowing the soccer ball to fall heavily on the grass. "The whole thing doesn't seem fair, though."

Absentmindedly, Mei played with a silver chain around her neck—indecision in her eyes. "Commitment is a funny thing to understand. Like this," her hand tugged the remainder of the chain out of her blouse—revealing the slim band of a pairing ring.

Startled at the unexpected seriousness that Sato had for this girl—no woman—Igarashi stepped backwards. For once he didn't know what to say.

"Koya isn't a bad person. He loved me...accepted me when not a lot of people did." Mei's fingers twisted around the pairing ring, thoughtful yet distressed.

"You know I've talked with someone about dreams they so badly wanted to fulfill before. But this is definitely harder," he admitted thoughtfully. "Have you already given up on the dream you wanted badly? All for the sake of one person..."

"I still draw manga," Mei argued.

"Does _he_ know that?" Igarashi narrowed his eyes at the sky—as though suspicious that the clouds would fall.

"Well, no" was her soft response, whispered in the wind.

"How is that any different from giving up? Man I don't understand women," Igarashi groaned, fisting his dark hair in frustration.

"Well, he wants to take a break until I 'figure my shit out' anyways, so it doesn't really matter right now," Mei said, jolting Igarashi in surprise.

Hearing his heart pound in his ears, he tried to react causally, "He broke up with you?"

"A break," Mei said as if testing out the word. "It was semi-mutual because I want to practice manga again without lying to him, even though I'm shit right now. Technically he could do better anyways..."

"Stop belittling yourself," Igarashi snapped. "Modesty will only be taken so far until people mistake it for rudeness or negativity. Does someone tell you these things? Does _he_?" Igarashi wasn't looking at her as he spoke. He was simply too shocked, too upset by the night's events to keep himself in check. And above all, he had the urge to grab her and kiss the hell out of her.

"Y… Yo… You're right," Mei stammered. "I'm sorry, Igarashi-san. I didn't mean to trouble—"

"Don't," Igarashi warned, holding up his hand to stop her apology. "You're not troubling me. Well, that's not true. Your relationship is troubling because you seem convinced that you have to pretend. Is that a correct assumption?"

Mei studied the ground, shamed to the core of her. "Yes," was she soft answer. "I suppose that's right."

"Look, I don't know you but... A man should not be so careless with commitment as that. You don't just tell someone that you want to be with someone forever and then drop them until they 'get their shit together.' I don't care if they hate anime, manga, BL, or whatever." Igarashi's chest heaved as he discussed the topic. "Don't you believe you deserve better than that?"

"I've always put him on top," Mei rationalized weakly. "And I'm not that great of an artist to be honest, and my storylines are blocked."

An idea sparked suddenly in Igarashi's mind, "What if I helped you?"

Her eyes jumped to his. "Helped me? Do you draw?"

"Well no. I don't draw well, but I've modeled for things..." Igarashi really didn't want to get into the fact that he'd modeled for BL inspiration, along with his group of friends in high school. Nana would probably flip his shit if Igarashi admitted it.

Mei made an awkward gasp, sounding like a cross between a squeak and a moan. The later flashed an image in Igarashi's brain that created an uncomfortable tightness between his legs.

"You'd be willing to do that? For someone like me? Seriously?" Mei bounced up from her seat on the bench—legs shaky as a newborn fawn. Igarashi nodded his head, casually positioning his soccer ball so she wouldn't notice his problem.

"Thank you, Igarashi-san," she whispered up at him after approaching him. "What would you like in return? I don't really have money—"

Filthy thoughts swarmed his brain, but Igarashi shoved them away and came to a decision. He wanted to pursue her. "I don't want your money anyways. Let me think about it for a while, though."

"O—okay," she grinned up at him nervously.

"But call me Igarashi at least, Mei-chan."

She blushed pink at his words. "I can manage to do that, I think."

"Want to start tomorrow?" He suggested with a wink, causing her to flush a deeper pink.

"Sure," Mei nodded, swallowing audibly as he asked for her contact information.

After exchanging phones, Igarashi's discomfort appeared to settle down and he boldly leaned near Mei to retrieve his phone. Faces now a breath apart, Mei picked up his clean scent mixed with herbal yet minty smell. It made her heart pound unsteadily.

Meanwhile, the left hand of Igarashi's fingertips sought Mei's temple, brushing strands of hair out of her eyes and behind her ear. His eyes fell on her lips momentarily before kissing her cheek softly. He decided that he would not regret it this time around; no matter how hard he tried.

"Until tomorrow, Manga girl."

Oh god... He was going to regret this.


	3. In Which He Made His Bed

**I don't own Kiss Him, Not Me! Or Anastasia, obviously.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **...**

 **Vladimir** : She certainly has a mind of her own.

 **Dimitri** : Yeah. I hate that in a woman.

-Anastasia, 1997

—

 **In Which He Made His Bed**

Igarashi blinked at her, uncertain of him hearing correctly. "I'm sorry. Could you repeat that for me?"

Mei's hands were clasped in front of her, practically bowing her head flat against the desk. If she wasn't seated already, the woman would be in dogeza position. "I was a bit over eager last night and submitted a proposal to a Shojo 2.0 site. I never expected them to reply back so soon."

Still uncomprehending the situation, Igarashi weakly nodded his head. "Go on."

"So... Is it okay if still use you as a model? And—err, possibly interview you on a few things." A heavy blush smothered Mei's face.

"I'm not really following what the issue is here," Igarashi admitted through a creased brow. "Didn't I offer to model in the first place?"

What was the big deal?

Her first response was shock, followed by immense appreciation. "I thought you might get a demon face but you're so kind, Igarashi."

"Demon face?" Igarashi questioned, taken aback.

Mei smiled and shook her head, "I didn't mean anything by it. Just wow. Thank you so much."

He merely stared back at her.

She jolted, as if suddenly remembering. "Oh yeah, I'll send you my address for us to meet." Then, with a bashful look, Mei asked, "Are you sure you don't want to back out? I don't want to make you feel...weird."

There laid the first clue that this floor may be smoldering lava.

"It's fine," he waved away her concern. Igarashi processed her words while she tapped into her phone excitedly. Adorable abet a bit strange.

"All done," she cheered and waved her phone. A moment later, Igarashi felt the buzz in his pocket. "And I'll explain more later at my place."

The blush on her face returned as she finished, prompting curiosity from Igarashi. "What—"

"Please take your seats," the professor called out upon entering the room. "Class is about to start."

Completely consumed by what Mei meant by Shojo 2.0, Igarashi jumped when a hand tapped him on the shoulder. Assessing the empty lecture hall, he realized class had dismissed.

"Is everything okay?" Mei withdrew her hand quickly after he glanced at it. "You seemed kind of out of it. Do you normally not take notes?"

Flustered, Igarashi rubbed the back of his neck and shook his head. "No I normally do. I guess I'm just tired or something but I'll be fine."

Mei briefly shoved her hand in her bag and extended a blue notebook, "Here you can borrow mine for now. Just give them back." She paused after he took the notes and flashed a quick smile of gratitude. "If you're still tired tonight, we could reschedule... You have soccer practice as well, right?"

Carefully considering, he shook his head. "That's okay, thanks. And yeah, I'll come over afterwards."

"Thank you so much, again!" Mei bowed formally at him again. "How about I pick up some bentos, too? For all the trouble."

Just as he was about to object, his stomach growled and Mei laughed triumphantly.

...

After a grueling practice, Igarashi remained blissfully unaware of what he was waltzing into as he locked his bike in front of Mei's apartment. Vaguely he recalled the awkward times he'd posed for requested photos, mostly paired suggestively with Nana. What would Mei's requests be? Perhaps he should have searched the meaning and style behind Shojo 2.0... damn.

Exhaling a deep breath, Igarashi knocked on Mei's door. After all, tonight's activities would not be an enigma for much longer.

A crash resounded from inside, followed by some colorful language and a frantic, "Just a minute!"

Bang. Bang. CRASH.

Igarashi pressed his ear against the door, genuinely worried about this woman's safety. What the hell was going on in there?

"Hi," Mei greeted after throwing open the door and almost knocking a shocked Igarashi into her arms. She combed back her hair with hasty fingers yet the evident case of bedhead remained. "Sorry for the wait. I accidentally fell asleep and then ran around to get bentos, clean my messy life, and...just sorry." Mei panted slightly, face flushed and hands clearing off her table.

She gestured for Igarashi to sit and grabbed the bentos to plop down next to him. Before he could properly thank her, Mei bounced back to her feet and bounded to the kitchen for drinks. It was like observing an erratic sparrow fly around, hoping it did not crash into the window.

"Don't worry about it. If you were tired we could have rescheduled. Don't push yourself too hard." Igarashi lowered his hand down to the table, sending the woman next to him a soft gaze. She returned to her seat closer beside him.

"You're certain you're not offended?" Receiving a small nod in response from Igarashi, Mei breathed with a gentle smile, relieved. "My life in general is always tiresome, so this was nothing of too much concern. Are you alright from practice? Not too tired?"

"Nah. I'm good."

After sharing appreciation for the meal and began scarfing down their dinner. Silence crawled over them yet it wasn't entirely uncomfortable.

"So! Um," Mei blurted out and then lost her nerve, slumping against the couch. She took a bite and swallowed, sucking on her chopsticks lightly between her lips. An action that made Igarashi gulp and unprepared for her next words. "The manga proposal is about a woman learning about sex...err and being taught by a stranger."

Understandably, Igarashi nearly choked on his bento.

For a moment all he could manage was blinking at her. "Are you serious?" The question hissed out between with teeth, disbelief aching to the core. More importantly, what did that mean for his role in all of this?!

Mei's voice lowered and she toyed with her food, rolling rice back and forth before setting down the chopsticks. "I'm not really...experienced to be honest, so if I could just ask you a few questions maybe? It's okay if you don't feel comfortable with the modeling part now. That's why I had apologized earlier—"

"Wait. Wait. Wait," Igarashi interrupted her, holding up his hands and realizing her previous warning. " _That's_ what Shojo 2.0 means? I thought Shojo was...romance stuff?" He trailed off, looking quite flustered.

Mei eyed him, seriousness drilled into her irises. "Yes. Shojo is geared at the female population and usually stops at...heavy petting? Anyways they don't usually go into heavy detail on sex and foreplay, that's drawing out the acts as well as the dialogue and storyline additives."

He forced himself to ask. "And 2.0 does?"

Mei nodded quietly, avoiding his eyes. "It does. It doesn't stop at kissing and pushes past foreplay."

A blush bloomed on Igarashi's face. "And you want to ask me questions about it? Why me?" He wanted to scream, 'You don't even know me! Value yourself more,' and shake her.

Mei's mouth tweaked in a small smile. "I do value myself," she replied firmly. "It's my dream to draw manga and this is an opportunity I cannot pass up. But you're correct, I don't know you yet I'm trusting that you're a relatively good person."

He raised an eyebrow and laughed, "That's a glowing endorsement of me, Mei-chan." Releasing a sigh, "Alright. I'll stick with you and answer whatever pops into that brain of yours. But if you're ever—and I mean _ever_ —uncomfortable I want you to tell me. Immediately."

Mei nodded eagerly and gave a thumbs up, "I will!"

Appearing slightly uneasy with the amount of openings this woman was giving him, Igarashi asked, "Why didn't you ask your friends for advice on..physical relationships?" He also had a hard time believing the soccer captain willingly kept his hands off this woman.

Mei stared into her now empty bento and exhaled softly, "I've never been popular, honestly. And the friend I had moved away, so in high school Koya was it."

Igarashi froze, a feeling of déjà vu settling between them. "Did you happen to lose a lot of weight in the past?" He asked carefully, flashes of Kae consuming his mind.

Strangely relieved, Mei shook her head, "No. I was called anorexic quite a bit and other ugly names, but it mostly stopped when Koya approached me."

Rubbing the back of his neck weighted with slight confusion, Igarashi muttered, "You're beautiful." It was an honest statement yet it made him embarrassed and feeling like an imbecile.

And, above else, he'd make his attentions known from the beginning and be straightforward to a fault.

When her eyes caught his, staring directly at her, Mei's cheeks flushed and she gulped but smiled shyly. "Thank you, Igarashi-san."

Igarashi groaned but chuckled immediately after, amused by her shyness. "You know, for someone that will be asking me questions about sex and foreplay, you're being awfully formal. Can you call me Igarashi, or Iga, at least?" His hands now buried in his pockets as he finished, Igarashi sent a lopsided grin her way.

After Mei nodded her head and he caught her blushing again, this time beet red. Trying to lighten the mood, Igarashi poked her arm playfully. "So what first? Shall we get started?"

Nodding encouragingly at him, Mei smiled brightly and grabbed a notepad, drawing materials, and her sketchbook. "Thank you for being so thoughtful and kind."

Glancing at the glint of determination in her eyes, Igarashi knew she meant business. This was something seriously significant to her. With that in mind, he prepared himself for the first question.

"How do you start with foreplay?"

 **A/N:**

 **Soooo I'll likely be moving this to M for the later mature content. Hope that won't be too much trouble for people.**

 **What do you think so far? Will Igarashi be able to handle all of this? Reviews are lovely! Or feel free to PM me. Thank you so much for reading!**


	4. Teach Us, Master Iga

_**I don't own Kiss Him, Not Me or Anastasia!**_

 _ **Also, please notice the change to M rating (mature adult content) specifically for this chapter! Enjoy!**_

 _ **...**_

 **Anastasia:** You think you're going to miss it?

 **Dimitri:** Miss what? Your talking?

 **Anastasia:** No. Russia.

-Anastasia, 1997

...

 **Chapter 4: Teach Us, Master Iga.**

"Foreplay?"

Igarashi gulped at her forwardness, slightly taken aback. Mei's eyes were serious; she meant business while she plucked at her eraser. Apparently they were not going to ease into the questions and answers session. It shocked Igarashi that she was the type to go straight for the jugular, yet the unfazed expression on her face was so pure it was strange.

It was as though Mei was unaware of the trouble she could find herself in displaying such vulnerability. If Igarashi was any other man, he could have personally taught her a play-by-play of foreplay. He could have taken advantage of her multiple openings. This troubled him deeply.

After he exhaled, Igarashi ruffled the hair at his nap and carefully began, "Foreplay... Is kind of a case by case sort of situation. Getting to know what the other person likes." He was baffled that he was explaining this to a woman he barely knew, yet the topic was reminiscent of The "How To" of Sex with demonstrations that he had with Mutsumi and everyone.

At least Mei already experienced her first kiss and kissing with tongue, he assumed begrudgingly. "Like with kissing..." Igarashi trailed off as he noticed Mei actually taking notes—like each word he spoke was gold. "Why are you taking notes on this part?"

Mei was puzzled and set down her pencil. "What do you mean?"

"You have experience kissing, right?" Igarashi forced himself to ask. The last thing he wanted was to appear like a insensitive jerk, despite him not wanting to hear about Sato sticking his tongue down Mei's throat.

Mei nodded slowly, "Yes. I do." Confusion was still evidently written in her gaze and then she blushed.

Igarashi sensed her hesitation.

"But..." he gently pressed on the issue. If she was going to expect him to be upfront and explain foreplay, Mei might as well be able to divulge any questions or concerns.

"Koya isn't the greatest kisser," Mei admitted to the ceiling and pursed her lips.

Igarashi forced down laughter, biting his fisted knuckle in effort to not embarrass the woman in front of him. The captain was a shit kisser! This was great.

Unable to contain himself, Igarashi smirked. "I see," he muttered a bit too smug for Mei's liking. "What about it didn't you like?"

She paused, considering the answer for a moment. "It's...wet?" Mei searched for the correct word and nodded her head from side to side. "He doesn't like me labeling it as such, however."

His smirk deepened, entirely too pleased and resisting the urge to kiss her to demonstrate how nice open mouthed kissing can be. "I bet he doesn't," Igarashi agreed, picturing the captain's arrogance. "Is there any part that you enjoyed?"

Slightly embarrassed, Mei nodded, "The firm pressure on my lips feels nice. Like repeatedly; does that make sense?"

"Yes," he said faintly and nodded.

Igarashi imagined what her lips would feel like and how he would bite that bottom lip, and trace the throbbing part with the tip of his tongue to soothe. A breath would escape from her lips—parting in a gasp—and he would collect it with his mouth. Alternating pressure, nibbling slightly, soothing with his tongue, and sucking with individual care on her lips. Igarashi had a map in his head of the attention intended for Mei's lips and he hadn't even slipped his tongue inside yet—mentally or physically.

He swallowed and breathed deeply in attempt to control himself. She'd trusted him enough to ask for help, and he wouldn't betray that over desire. Even if he had to sit on his hands, Igarashi would be patient and give Mei the reins.

He moved on, "Foreplay can start with kissing and caressing skin, alternating touches and types of kisses. Giving licks and bites along the way, but it's important to read or listen to the other person's reaction."

Mei scribbled down the answer in her notebook and nodded excitingly. "Is that how you start things out? What would that look like?"

He tilted his head and replied, "Depends on the mood and the woman. But, yes, I would kiss her, caress every sensitive part that she likes."

Mei appeared thoughtful but shook her head in the end. "Explain," she requested and posed her pencil ready.

"Well, first... I'd run my lips down her throat to make her quiver in my arms. Kiss and nibble her sensitive neck, while one hand fisted in her hair and the free hand gripped her hip." Igarashi leaned closer to Mei, peeking at the notebook before he continued next to her ear. "Next I would blow _here_ to make her whimper a soft, lovely sound. And kiss here." He boldly blew on the lobe and then the space below her ear.

From his position seated next to her, Igarashi watched her body carefully for every reaction. With eyes remaining on the slow heaving of Mei's chest, he spoke next to her ear again. "My mouth would move lower, tracing a slow path over your skin. Soft kisses, gentle sucking and nibbling downward."

A whimper passed Mei's lips, and Igarashi peeked up at the sound. He lifted his head to watch the rise and fall of her chest again before glancing at her face. Mei's eyes were closed, mouth slightly parted.

Beautiful.

Igarashi smiled, taking pleasure from how sensitive her body appeared to be and imagined how he could cause her to squirm in pleasure beneath him. Biting his lip to restrain a moan gathered in his throat, he tried to repress the thought of how those legs would feel wrapped around his waist and allowing him closer; deeper.

"Okay!" Igarashi jolted at the sound of her voice, which was clear and indulgent. He was even more stunned when she grabbed his hands, pulled him off the couch, and pushed him until he was seated on the bed in her room. Mei left him blinking, dumbfounded as she left to grab her drawing materials again and returned moments later.

She blushed yet her tone was open and optimistic. "That is a good start for description and now I want to draw it out. I have a mirror that I'll turn toward you, if that helps, but I want to see what it looks like so I can draw it."

"Uh," he hesitated as he tried to discretely deal with the tightness hardened in his pants, so she wouldn't draw that too. Igarashi cursed in his head, he hadn't even touched Mei yet and he was excited. Holding out his hands, he asked huskily, "What is it you want me to do?"

"Everything you described!"

"Um," Igarashi stalled. "I kind of have to be motivated to do that and I don't think that you want to physically practice foreplay so..."

Mei dropped her pencil. Igarashi' eyes focused on her reaction—a slight flush of her cheeks and eyes scanning the page with her notes. Suddenly rising from her seat at her desk, she said determinedly, "I think that's a great idea. Where do you want me?"

Igarashi' vision hazed slightly at the words. _This isn't good. I don't know if I can deal with this. Maybe I should make up some excuse and go home...definitely take a cold shower,_ Igarashi thought and ran a hand over his face.

"Igarashi? Are you feeling unwell?" He blinked downward to find Mei on her knees in front of him. Her hand felt his forehead for a moment before frowning. "You don't feel like you have a fever so that's good. Does your head hurt? I think I have some medicine—"

Igarashi lightly grabbed her wrist as she intended to get up and find medicine. "I'm alright," he whispered lowly. "But... Are you saying you want to practice foreplay with me?"

"Yes," her answer was simple and open, and so fucking vulnerable. It had him questioning 'why?' to which Mei's answer was as simple as the last. "I want answers and unique characters that I refuse to base off of stiff diagrams, or copying off of others work."

"But you don't know me," he exclaimed, unraveling a bit.

"I know you've been thoughtful and kind. And I know my work, that I love drawing and I've decided to put as much value as possible in what I find important."

Igarashi saw that she meant business and, he too, sensed the importance Mei held for drawing. She'd do anything for it.

"Fine. Come here," he relented, tapping the space in her bed next to him. "I've already said this but it's really important that you stop me the second you feel uncomfortable. Alright?"

"Yes! Thank you so much," Mei said with a wide grin and sat next to him on the bed. "Let's start—"

"For now, stop talking and I'll guide you through it," he sighed as he flicked away her notes.

"What if you miss something?"

"Miss what? Your voice?" He teased.

Me rolled her eyes and huffed, "No, I meant a step in foreplay."

Igarashi smirked and said in that deep voice, "I think I'll remember just fine. First, I told you about kissing and holding so—" He turned his body and embraced Mei with one arm while his free hand glided up to cup her cheek.

Igarashi hesitated, drawing Mei's attention even though she, too, had become nervous. "Oh, yes? Is something the matter, Igarashi?"

He didn't respond immediately, choosing to gently brush the pad of his thumb against her cheek while he pondered. "Do you want me to kiss you, Mei-chan?" he asked and allowed his thumb to trail over her bottom lip.

After Mei nodded her permission, Igarashi softly pressed his lips against hers. Igarashi gently ran a hand through her hair as he increased the pressure of his kisses and affectionately nipped her bottom lip before soothing it with the tip of his tongue. Peeking one eye open, Igarashi kissed, nibbled, and sucked her bottom lip and felt her shiver in his arms. She gasped and he wasted no time sliding his tongue in her mouth to play with hers. As her hands slightly trembled, Mei fisted his shirt to ground herself.

Igarashi pulled away, giving her another peck on the lips before his kisses strayed from the side of her face to her earlobe. Once there, hot breath softly blew in her ear and Igarashi captured the soft flesh carefully between his teeth. Tilting his head a fraction to observe her reaction while he nibbled and sucked the sensitive spot, Igarashi heard Mei release a moan.

He smiled and kissed the space just below her ear, discovering another sensitive spot of hers. "You're quite sensitive, Mei-chan," he whispered seductively against her skin, creating another shiver before he pulled back completely to look into her eyes. "Were my kisses enjoyable?"

Her face reddened. "Y-yes," she swallowed and continued sounding a little bit breathless. "Yes. Definitely good. It feels really good."

"Good," Igarashi gave a small laugh and added, "remember to breathe through your nose." When his lips crashed on hers again, Mei noticed this kiss was less gentle and much more passionate. There was an urgency that had Mei squeaking in surprise as practically devoured her—as though her mouth and skin was the source for an addictive drug.

While kissing her mouth again and again, Igarashi ran his hands up her back then caressing down to the side of her ribs with his fingertips. Checking for her reaction and permission again, he repeated the action under Mei's shirt—directly feeling every twitch, gooseflesh, and quiver. Every once and a while, Mei would glance at the mirror she'd placed angled at the bed and release a lusty groan.

The more Igarashi touched her skin, the more aware Mei became of her rising body temperature until she subconsciously tugged up the bottom of Igarashi's shirt. After stiffening slightly in hesitation, Igarashi pulled the shirt over his head and resumed kissing and touching Mei. She felt like she was melting into a puddle, unable to think clearly. "And what next?" She questioned in a soft voice, once they broke away for air.

Tucking strands of hair behind her ear, Igarashi leaned forward and pushed her backwards with his hand still beneath her shirt. He gulped audibly before answering, "I'd caress higher _here_ and keep going higher, skimming your ribs until you arch your back." His fingers splayed out on Mei's rib cage as he spoke, while his body hovered above her. "Anticipating the touch to your breasts, while I find _all_ your sensitive spots."

She felt the heat of his hand beside her breast, and they started to ache for his growingly familiar touch. Mei arched her back slightly, so her chest was displayed like he'd mentioned, and that reaction was all Igarashi needed. His hand moved up to cup the bottom of her right breast in his palm, squeezing affectionately until his ear picked up a moan. Then, pulling back slightly, his fingertips traced under the cup shielding Mei's soft breast and tapped for her permission. "I'm going to keep going, is that okay?"

"Go ahead. Please be gentle with me." Mei had determination in her eyes as she glanced back into the mirror at their intimate position. At his naked chest and back, and then focusing on his hand traveling up underneath her bra. Where Igarashi cupped her naked breast and rubbed her nipple with his thumb—alternating between slow yet firm circles and light flicks. As the tip of that breast pebbled, Mei moaned while the neglected left breast continued to ache.

"The goal of foreplay for me," Igarashi confessed with a light flush to his cheeks. "Is making her feel as good as possible, and then aiming for even better."

He watched her reaction as he unbuttoned her blouse, checking for signs of distress or fear. Instead he found Mei's hand clasped over her mouth to silence sounds. Igarashi peered down at the newly revealed skin of Mei's torso and upward, using his free hand to uncover her mouth. "I want to hear you. I like the sounds you make, Mei-chan."

Mei's face turned the color of a tomato but she listened to the request and placed her hand in his hair instead. "Will you..." she trailed off, avoiding his eyes and biting her lip.

Smiling kindly, Igarashi said, "It's the other ones turn. Can I take off your bra?"

She nodded encouragingly and then flushed at her eagerness. Crap, she barely knew this man...

Mei's body arched off the bed slightly as he unclasped and threw her bra and shirt on the floor. Taking in the vision before his very eyes, Igarashi swallowed the saliva forming in his mouth back to his throat. Self-consciousness began to kick in when Mei noticed his intense gaze on her breasts, so she squirmed awkwardly. "Not usually what you like to see? I—I'll definitely draw a more attractive body—"

He ceased her concerns with a firm kiss on the lips. "You have nothing to worry about, Mei. I was simply admiring the view from up here," Igarashi confessed after pulling away and smiling down at her.

Without another word, Igarashi's mouth ventured from her collarbone and lower. As previously promised, his open mouthed kisses went right to tease the skin around the neglected nipple with his tongue. Releasing another moan, Mei arched her back, pushing her breast against his opened mouth.

"Iga…" Mei's voice whimpered after he nipped area lightly, just once, and then blew on it. He followed up by licked his lips before taking the hardened bud into his mouth, curling his tongue around it, sucking it into his mouth. Over and over, he teased her breast until Mei was begging him to do...something. Anything to ease the tension and shifting of her low body, as well as the ache from lack of attention now on her left breast.

"Mei," Igarashi rasped her name hotly.

A tremor ran threw her and she jolted, suddenly on edge. Instantly picking up on her cue to stop, Igarashi sat up on his knees and gave her some space.

Pulling back to observe Igarashi fully, Mei's mouth dried and she thought that she'd never been so excited seeing a man half-naked. There was a significant bulge in his pants and, for once, that knowledge didn't unsettle her. Locking eyes with Igarashi, she leaned forward curiously and placed her right hand on the bulge.

"Mei?" Igarashi croaked out, uncertainty and awe coating his expression. He shifted a bit and groaned at the friction of her hand on his hardened penis. "Wha—?"

"It feels like it's all ready to go," Mei observed out loud and added, "Is it just a physiological response though? How would my main character take care of it in the best way?" She groped the hardened area and stroked firmly, causing Igarashi to twitch and moan.

Before they rushed too quickly, Igarashi grasped her busy hand. "Mei, stop for now," he panted out and bit down on his bottom lip.

"Was I doing something wrong, or weird?" Mei questioned with a serious expression. "Sorry—"

He waved her apology away dismissively with his free hand and laced his fingers with Mei's hand. "You didn't do anything wrong, but let's just slow it down. I don't want to be too reckless with you."

"You're right," Mei nodded quietly and picked up her bra and shirt to put back on. Once dressed, she sat at her desk and started drawing, muttering quickly, "Sorry, I want to get this all started while it's fresh in my mind."

After a few minutes of sketching, Mei worked on the couples lips and recalled how the intensity of kisses made them redden and swell. And the way the woman's facial features would look like when she felt the man's erection straining for freedom.

Mei jumped as a cough sounded to her left—as though Igarashi's forgotten presence was as loud as a siren, demanding attention.

"You draw this stuff with such a straight face," Igarashi commented in curiosity. "And you're skills are remarkable; you know that? Why did you call yourself a shit artist before?"

Mei finished sketching out the arched back and breasts on the pad before responding, "I'm still pretty rusty from lack of practice but thank you. There are just loads better manga art out there."

"I suppose it is easy to be humbled by that but give yourself a bit of credit," he said and exhaled, forcing himself to speak more. "It's getting pretty late. Do you have any other questions for me before I head out? Or if you wanted me to stay a bit longer..."

Mei bobbed her head from side to side and smiled, "No, you have been such a big help so far. Thank you so much! I'll just be sketching this out most of tonight and then we can plan for a next session."

Igarashi gulped. "Next session?" He inquired wearily.

"Yeah! The storyline involves the MC's love interest being a bit of a recluse/social awkwardness personality so I might have them try out a date to give it more substance than merely two bodies going at it all the time, you know?" Mei was practically dancing with excitement at the prospect, and Igarashi could not believe she'd been such a closet otaku. Like this had to have oozed out at some point with her ex-boyfriend.

How could you contain something like this? Why would you? To Igarashi, the very idea just felt wrong. He'd never would have done that to Kae, so how could a someone hold back or repress a person they loved.

Also, how was he going to deal with his quickly developing affections for this woman drawing out half-naked bodies? Well, Igarashi knew a cold shower would be a good start.

 **A/N:**

Oh Igarashi... What have you gotten yourself into? Haha

Sooo, things certainly just got real intense (hence M rating). What does everyone think? Feel free to review or PM me!


	5. Attraction

_Disclaimer: I don't own Anastasia or Kiss Him Not Me. I also don't own Attack on Titan, Yona of the Dawn, or Devils Line._

 **Vladimir** : Oh! An unspoken attraction!

 **Dimitri** : *Attraction*? To that skinny little brat? Have you lost your mind?

 **Vladimir** : I was only asking a simple question...

 **Dimitri** : Attraction... ridiculous!

-Anastasia,1997

 **Chapter 5: Attraction**

"So what are we doing later today?" The anticipation for the date, whether it be fake or not, would be the death of Igarashi. Sitting in his room night after night, the dark-haired male stared at the ceiling, pondering the strange woman now seated beside him.

While he was agonizing, she was probably binge watching an anime or reading a manga, or perhaps she was drawing again. A flush dabbed at his cheeks at the later thought—flashes of the two of them in the mirror, lips swollen with repeated and fervent abuse.

Man, he wanted to kiss her again. He quickly shook his head to rid himself of the thought before he got tangled up; he was merely helping her.

Though, as much as he fervidly deny it, Igarashi was in deep yet he barely knew her. Not to mention the fool had begun reading the manga, _Yona of the Dawn,_ that Mei had paged over the day of their first meeting. Fuck those arcs were lengthy, but Igarashi could see the appeal of the plot line.

But it was also way too reminiscent of his time with Kae, where he bent over backwards and nearly begged on his knees for her to only look at him. Igarashi refused to bury his dignity like that again.

"How about the aquarium?" Mei suggested, biting the side of her pencil thoughtfully. "Isn't that a typical dating site?"

 _Of all the places she could have mentioned_ , Igarashi thought slightly exasperated as the memories stung. He wondered if he should Google facts again if that were the case, only to swallow down a sickened sensation.

Of course, that wasn't really something Igarashi wanted to dwell on because the past was the past. He was a firm believer of the future and progress, so he promised himself that he would never be placed in a pathetic love situation again. Mistakes were simply opportunities for learning, and learn he did from his experiences with Kae and the others.

At least that's what he'd tried to convince himself.

"Sure," Igarashi resigned, rubbing at the back of his neck.

 **XXX**

"These are cute," Mei observed quietly, eying the tank of seahorses.

Igarashi also eyed the seahorses carefully as they swam along in a rocking motion. A few floated against the plants in the tank—tails tangled like rope to an anchor.

 _Such little freedom,_ he mused darkly at their fins motored them around. Tied down with no place to truly venture—just constantly spinning their wheels. "Yeah. Nice," he murmured politely but it didn't quite match Mei's enthusiasm. Not one bit. A voice in his head chastised him—insisted that a past self was a lot more charming.

Mei watched him for a moment as a tenseness settled between them. Igarashi felt a tightness in his gut—as though someone shoved him hard below his ribs.

The guilt was immediate. He tried again, "Check out this one." Hands buried in his pockets, he nodded to the next tank and added, "The Big-Belly Seahorse is also known as the Pot Belly Seahorse. They look like they had too much sake."

Mei's eyes lit up as she laughed, "They do!" She moved closer to the tank, carefully examining the creatures before she eagerly turned back towards Igarashi.

"Did you know it's the male seahorse who reproduces?" Mei sounded fascinated by the knowledge.

"Really? That sounds rough," he grimaced, imaging if humans were similar and how painful the experience would be. Shaking his head, he added, "That's crazy."

"Isn't it!" Mei grinned widely. A flood of people began to funnel their way out from the penguin exhibit, but Mei had not noticed yet. His feet carried him a few steps closer to her, lingering almost protectively.

Igarashi returned her smile. "Well, I definitely don't envy them." It was strange yet refreshing to hear someone else list off random facts during a date, he realized with a slight pang. He used to be more engaging; more kind and considerate.

Igarashi sheltered Mei closer to his body, as the crowd suddenly descended upon them. A panicked look entered Mei's eyes but thankfully it was due to the crowd and not his nearness. Gently guiding her along, his arm hovered above her shoulders—radiating sparks of heat between them.

Why didn't he just touch her? It wasn't not like he hadn't before.

Igarashi cleared his throat and questioned, "Um... So how does it get to reproduce?"

Mei's expression turned confused. "Huh?"

"The male seahorse," he clarified.

"Oh! Yeah, um, when that does happen the female deposits eggs from her body into the pouch on the male. It can be as many as 700 eggs during that period of time." Her small frame bounced slightly as she talked and grew more excited. "Isn't that neat?"

Igarashi stared down at the woman basically in his arms and smiled softly, "Yeah. That's really neat."

After hours of walking around the aquarium and venturing into gift shops, their stomachs growled irritably in demand for food. The tiny restaurant was crowded once they arrived but Mei managed to push forward yelling out, "I'll check how long the wait is, so be right back!" before Igarashi could even fathom a reply.

A quick glance at the pop-up gift shop with otaku mech caused his feet to wonder, so he decided to peruse until an item caught his eye. _Should he?_

 _She would probably love it._

"I'll get it. Screw it," the now messy-haired male muttered after his hand ruffled about his head in frustration. Thankfully the line was short so Igarashi made it back just as Mei body surfed through the sea of people. He'd hidden the small gift securely in his pocket.

Mei burst out a few seconds later, breaking Igarashi away from his flustered thoughts. "They said it's like a ten minute wait," she announced, proudly waving the slab of plastic that would buzz when their table was ready. He looked around, seeing the swarm of people and found the estimated time doubtful.

"Sounds good," Igarashi said after a slow, calming exhale as he led them to the nearby bench to sit. "Did you want to do some drawings while we wait?"

"A-ah yess! That would be great," she happily exclaimed, clapping her hands together.

The two of them walked as close as two people could without touching, and then sat on a nearby bench. Mei fished out her sketch pad and pencils before she set to work.

"Errr, is there a position you want me in?"

"Just act as casually as possible," Mei advised with a wave of her pencil. "Whatever you'd actually do on a date like this."

Igarashi cast her a funny look at her choice of words. It reminded him of when she referred to the aquarium as a 'typical dating site;' the statement sounded off, foreign. "Wait... Haven't you been on a date to an aquarium before?"

"Nope," Mei's lips popped around the 'p' and she shook her head. "I've actually never been to an aquarium but I've read a bunch about marine biology. Watched a lot of video documentaries, too."

"Sato never took you to one?" Igarashi forced himself to ask, slightly suspicious at how strange it sounded.

Mei paused, expression pinching in thought, but she didn't appear perturbed. "Nah," she denied, natural and unaffected. "He never wanted to go."

His brow furrowed, eye twitching just a tick. "Did you?"

"I suppose so," she shrugged, again not the least bit upset. "It wasn't a big deal."

"So you asked and he told you that he didn't want to go," Igarashi clarified. _Inconsiderate prick._

Mei's eyes trailed over his body while moving her hand across the pad, lightly sketching. Meeting his eyes, she recalled, "I believe his words were, 'That's too much of a pain,' because we had numerous field trips to aquariums but I never went."

Curiosity filled him as he further inquired, "Why didn't you go on field trips? Aren't they required?"

At his questions, Mei became extremely quiet and, with a disturbing start, Igarashi recognized the frown that matched the one he'd seen on the soccer field after Sato and her had broken up.

"You don't have to tell me," he quickly supplied, wondering how he had upset her.

"No..." Mei trailed off slightly, a distant look fogging her eyes. "It's okay. Um, I got permission to not attend the trips due to some conflicts with bullying."

"People bullied you?" That startled him, quickly replaced by a flash of anger. "You told people but no one did anything?"

Mei shrugged again, which caused the fury inside Igarashi to intensify. "Relax your face," she scolded teasingly as she continued to sketch. "You look angry."

"That's because I am angry," he said bluntly. "I don't understand why someone would bully you."

"A lot of reasons, apparently. I'm a slew of strangeness." Wry humor putting a slight quirk to her mouth. "It basically stopped after I started dating Koya."

"I see," Igarashi carefully replied, he exhaled slowly in attempt to calm himself. "You still didn't deserve that treatment, especially if it was to the point you excused yourself from trips."

He stole a glance at Mei, finding her eyes closed and serene smile on her face. "Thank you, Igarashi," she whispered softly.

"Anytime," he nodded and a silence fell over them. "And if you ever want to go somewhere—if it's for practice or otherwise—I'll go with you."

Mei stared at him wordlessly, a light blush crawling along her cheeks. Finally, she managed a nod and a meek smile. "You're such a kind person."

It was Igarashi's turn to blush lightly and he coughed awkwardly into his sleeve, uncertain of what to say.

"Yeah...So what kind of anime _do_ you watch," Igarashi asked, quickly changing the subject. "I know you like Attack on Titan and Yona of the Dawn..." He slammed his lips shut at the later slip.

The sound of a pencil hitting the ground echoed as loud as a soccer ball rammed against a goal post. "You know _Yona of the Dawn_?" Mei asked, clearly astonished.

"I looked it up after I saw you reading it in class," Igarashi admitted and then playfully stuck out his tongue at her stunned expression.

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

Both of their attentions snapped to the slab of plastic vibrating on the bench—signaling that their table was ready.

Igarashi picked up the escaped pencil and vibrating device, then he offered his hand to Mei. "Shall we, Mei-chan?"

Numbly she nodded, sliding her hand into his so they could make their way through the crowd without the risk of separation. That had to be the only reason, right?

Right?

 **XXX**

After they finished their lunch, they decided to rest on the grass for a bit and Igarashi became interested in reviewing some of Mei's artwork, so he flipped through her sketchpad. "You are quite good. I don't know what you were worried about before," he commented, and witnessed her smile bashfully at the praise.

"Thank you. That's so kind of you," she acknowledged with warming cheeks.

"Nah," Igarashi shrugged off the compliment. "But I do have to ask about your apparent interest with dark haired men."

She blinked extra hard at the comment, taken aback . "What?"

"You have a lot of sketches of men—a lot from manga, I'd presume—in here." He tapped the index finger of his right hand to a page in her sketchbook. "It's interesting, so I figured I'd ask."

Mei laughed when she realized he was correct as she paged through her sketches. All the men had dark hair. "Huh, you're right. I guess I have a thing for men with black hair and light eyes."

"Like Eren Yeager?" He teased and suddenly pulled on her leg, dropping her down beside him on the grass to be cradled in his arms.

After a moment she grinned bashfully, a look that stirred emotion in Igarashi's chest. It was a tightness, though not entirely painful it troubled him. The throbbing ache raced until gradually easing.

"Eren and Levi," she nodded in agreement than paused, uncertain whether to proceed the otaku conversation. "Anzai...Have you ever read _Devil's Line_?"

He denied it with a shake of his head. "But maybe I'll check it out soon. Is it similar to anything?"

She flipped her hand in a so-so, or kinda gesture. "It's about a devil—err half vampire detective and a human girl that's in graduate school. There is an anime that was recently released but I've liked the manga better so far." Mei flipped around the pages of her sketchbook until she landed on a sketch of a angular man with short black hair and ice blue eyes. "I've been working on a sketch with Anzai as a devil but I haven't gotten his expression down right. Transforming is a painful and self-loathing process for him, so..."

She trailed off, glancing away and shifting against him.

"What's wrong?" Igarashi wondered out loud.

"I was rambling again," Mei sighed with a laugh. "It was probably annoying. Sorry about that."

"Don't apologize for talking about what you care about," Igarashi firmly stated, he wondered if that was yet another one of Sato's inconsiderate comments. "Want to watch it together sometime?"

"Anime?" She asked, hesitant if that's what he actually meant.

"Yeah," he nodded with a smile. "Maybe if I see an episode of Devils Line I'll be tempted to read the manga along with you."

"Of course," Mei flashed him a smile, immediately beaming with excitement. "I wanna watch some anime with you. Would you want to sometime soon?"

"Sure," he smiled genuinely, liking the idea of making more plans with her. He stood up suddenly, pulling Mei along with him. "Now come on. Let's read some more random facts about fish. I think it's just about feeding time for the sharks."

"Okay! Wow, I wonder what they are like at feeding time. Scary?"

"Not really. The tank is pretty secure so it's not like it's at risk for breaking or anything. Or...is it?" Igarashi teased and poked out his tongue when Mei squeaked. "Did you just squeak?"

"No," Mei denied, avoiding his bright eyes and crossing her arms defiantly. "I did not."

"Are you sure?" He laughed, nudging her shoulder gently with his own. "It was kind of cute."

She pouted. "Shut it. I don't know what you're talking about."

Igarashi laughed at her reaction. "Whatever you say, Mei-chan."

"You're really fun," Mei commented, her voice light as she dropped her defiance. Her left arm swung enthusiastically, while Igarashi walked next to her on the right towards the shark exhibit. He held the aquarium map in his right hand, allowing their inside hands free to graze each other.

"Oh yeah?" Igarashi asked, looking up from the map to smile softly at Mei. That grin made her heart squeeze and race, but the sensation was oddly welcomed. "I'm glad you're enjoying it."

"Thank you, again, for agreeing to come with me." Mei's arm brushed against his as she unconsciously closed the space between them.

"Don't mention it," Igarashi said, fully enjoying the feel of her skin against his. "I'm happy to be here."

A quick pause of indecision passed before he swallowed hard, his fingertips twitching with strange need. His stomach felt like it was exploding with butterflies—the swarm smacking into walls—as he leapt towards the crazy choice. His hand cupped hers as they continued to walk, both eager yet nervous. Nothing was said between the pair, pretending the action was an everyday occurrence—that it was natural; normal.

 **XXX**

He couldn't resist the grin crawling onto his face. All worries momentarily forgotten, Igarashi grabbed Mei's hand again and jogged down to where the exit of the aquarium was located.

Only to have the nervousness and indecision return tenfold after a question passed his lips. "Hey, Mei-chan. Can you hang back for a minute?"

"Yeah. Is everything alright?"

She quickly looked at his eyes, waiting for an answer. He simply nodded, throat too constructed to form the correct answer. _Was there a proper way to put it_? "Hey...I got you something," he lamely sweated, finally handing her the box jammed in his pocket.

Mei's hands shook as she opened the box and then gently held the necklace, a delicate chain with a nice looking charm—the cannon flower hairpin intertwined with a sword. Faintly, she whispered, "This is the hairpin and sword from Yona of the Dawn..."

Mei's lips parted, opening and closing like her voice had been stolen. "Th-thank you." It honestly didn't seem like enough. She lunged forward, nearly knocking him over when she embraced him. "Thank you so much, Igarashi. It's beautiful..." She couldn't remember the last time she got a random gift from someone.

When Igarashi caught his balance he stood there, immediately hugging her back and awkwardly patting her slim shoulders.

He decided to go for it, one hand inching higher on her back while the other wrapped a little lower around her middle to tug Mei closer.

"Anytime, Mei-chan." He smiled, hoping this feeling lasted.

 **A/N:**

Man this chapter took me a while and I still wanted to add onto it. Fluff mostly for now, but I'm revved up for next chapter that going to switch up to M content. What does everyone want to see? Igarashi's been having a bit of trouble thinking about his past girl, but what did you think of the aquarium date? Got a favorite scene or quote from Anastasia?

Review please!

Sneak peak for next chapter:

 _He cleared his throat, attracting her attention, and said "You wanted to touch me. Sure...go ahead." As if waving a white flag of surrender, Igarashi held up his hands and gave her access to him._

 _What he wasn't expecting was Mei's reaction._

 _"Really?!" Excitement consumed the tone of her voice._


	6. Chapter 6: I'd Wanna Circle You

**Disclaimer: I** _ **own nothing recognizable from manga, anime, and Anastasia.**_

 _[Dimitri circles around Anya, checking her body and physique to see that she's identical to the "Real" Anastasia]_

 **Anya** : Hey, why are you circling me? Wha—What were you, a _vulture_ in another life?!

Anastasia, 1997

 **Chapter 6: I'd Wanna Circle You**

"Is there a reason you're sucking face with a...DVD case?" Igarashi asked while setting down his sports bag and then shouldered off his backpack to sit down next to her. In response, Mei jolted—a mild squeak reverberated from her nose pressed against her new anime. A limited edition piece that she'd been fangirling about since this mornings release.

Mei's eyes lit up as she began to express what she was feeling. "It's beautiful, Igarashi-san. Masterful."

"Anime?" He raised an eyebrow at the dreamy look on her face. It was one he identified on Kae's many times.

"I cannot wait to go home so we can be alone together," Mei said with a sigh as she reviewed the description on the back.

"Should I give the two of you some privacy now?" He teased, watching as she ran a finger down the DVD's spine.

"Ha-ha," Mei mocked and stuck her tongue out before appraising her prize once more. "Actually maybe."

" _Kakuriyo -Bed & Breakfast for Spirits?" _He observed after reading the title. "Uh-oh that one guy with horns fits your fetish. Is he an oni? Oh and that other guy that looks like a...Tengu?"

"Yeah...actually, Ginji is handsome, too. Though the small crush I developed on him is probably due to Tomoe. Aah...I'm ever the sucker for kitsune."

"Fox spirits?" Confusion coated his tone, but he didn't feel uncomfortable like with BL topics. If anything this could be of interest to him, folklore had a promising storyline if done right. "Who's Tomoe?"

Her forehead creased in worry, excitement dropping drastically all of a sudden. Eyes downcast and body slightly slumping as she hurriedly placed the anime in her bag. "Sorry," she muttered quietly, avoiding eye contact.

A frown decorated his face. "What are you apologizing for?" She was so elated mere minutes ago.

"I was being a bit too...much," Mei sighed, then she gave him an apologetic smile that didn't reach her eyes.

His frown deepened. "I don't understand. You were so happy. What's wrong?" With a start, he suddenly recalled their conversation at the aquarium. "I told you that you don't have to worry. You can talk about the things you like, Mei-chan. That includes anime or whatever else pops into that otaku brain of yours."

"What if you think it's weird? Or you don't like it?" Mei said softly, keeping her eyes averted.

"Anime usually _is_ a bit weird so there isn't really anything that can help that." Igarashi teased lightly before adding, "And if I don't like something I'll talk to you about it, but not to prevent you from watching or talking about it."

"Really?" The question hung in the air as she peeked at him.

"Yes, I meant what I said before. I get excited over soccer all the time, which could arguably be boring, but I wouldn't appreciate being scolded about it or banned from enjoying it. It wouldn't feel good," he explained to get her to understand and relax a bit.

The brunette next to him stared wide-eyed at him, mouth slightly open. "Iga..."

Igarashi sent her a lopsided grin and innocently asked, "Yes, Mei-chan?"

She covered her mouth with her left hand, eyes slightly misting with emotion, and she placed her hand on top of the hand he had laying on the table. "Thank you," Mei smiled appreciatively, abet meekly astonished. "You're so nice."

 _Nice_?

"Not really," the dark-haired male answered honestly. "I can be a bit forward and hasty at times. Not always thinking things through properly. Selfish, too."

Shaking her head in disbelief, she denied his claim. "No! Not at all. You're kind and inspiring, Igarashi." She released his hand and beamed at him. "I would never want to make such a good person feel uncomfortable."

It was Igarashi's turn to feel astonished, the change in the woman beside him was jarring. A few supportive words to her causes hope to shine in her eyes. "I'm gonna do what I want to do. If you made me uncomfortable then I'd let you know. And you know I'm not really as inspiring as you're saying," he admitted with a blush and briefly glanced away. _I can be a bit of a pervert, too._ He mentally added the comment with a sigh.

"That's not true!"

When Igarashi's eyes returned to that warm gaze, it pierced straight through him. For a brief moment he didn't know what to say or do, and it felt like his heart erupted into chaos.

But he forced himself to appear calm and unaffected, a natural manner. "Oh yeah?"

Meanwhile, Mei was dealing with an internal chaos of her own as she considered how much of an imposition she'd been. She was surprised Igarashi wasn't annoyed over all the awkward questions and practice session. _Instead of rejection or ostracism, he treats me kindly...even though he doesn't harbor any feelings for me._

There was a loud thud of the classroom door being shut, followed by the professor shuffling to the front to being lecture. Silence enveloped the room as students settled in to listen and flip open their notes.

Instead of following suit, Igarashi scratched a message on the side of Mei's notes.

" _So...what are we watching tonight? With all the new character introductions today my head is spinning_ ," Igarashi wrote down and waited for her response.

" _Watch_?" She inquired below his message in a neat, concise style of handwriting.

He rolled his eyes at her, but grinned nonetheless when he pulled her notebook towards him. Then he wrote, " _Yes. I thought you wanted to watch anime together, was I wrong?_ "

He laughed when he read her answer. " _No, of course not! I'd love to :D"_

Igarashi nodded at her and replied, " _So what will it be—Devil's Line, that Bed and Breakfast one, or am I going to find out who Tomoe is?_ "

Mei's hand briefly paused then wrote back. " _He's a fox yokai, that ends up serving as a familiar for a land god in Kamisama Hajimemashita._ " Overwhelmed by a wave of giddiness, she grasped onto a smidgen of courage and added, " _Would you watch the trailers for each and pick one that you'd be okay watching? I have all of them._ "

When he glanced at the paper, Igarashi gave another quick nod and grinned. "I'll look them up but I want you to pick for tonight," he whispered and stuck his tongue out at her.

Face flaming, Mei whispered back, "Thank you." Her eyes were trained on the professor while diligently taking notes. "You make me...really happy."

At her words, Igarashi's attention snapped to her face before squinting down at the notes in front of him. "I...didn't do anything special though."

Mei just smiled and turned her full attention back to the lecture, while her heart pounded as though on the verge of bursting. It throbbed and raced, like in some shojo manga. Had she ever felt like this before?

She exhaled slowly and mentally slapped her cheeks to shake herself back to her senses. Somehow she managed to concentrate, scribbling down notes while avoiding the area that contained the conversation between her and the man seated next to her.

And so, seated comfortably in each other's presence, class ended before they knew it.

Standing up from his seat, Igarashi turned to Mei. "Want me to meet you somewhere for dinner before going to your place?" He shouldered his sports bag as he pushed in his chair. "After I get done with practice."

"Sure," Mei agreed happily. "Want to stop by where I work? I should be done and showered by the time you finish. And I'll even have leftovers for us to take for dinner."

Worry creased his brown as he stared down at her. "I didn't know you worked. Will you be too tired to meet afterwards?"

She waved away his concern with a smile, "no, I'll be okay. It'll be the weekend tomorrow anyways so I can get some extra sleep if I need it." Then her body jolted suddenly as she remembered his sports club. "But we can postpone if you're feeling tired after practice, what do you think? I don't want to impose—"

"Will you stop that?" He laughed, placing his hand on top of her head and circling gently with his palm. "I asked you if you wanted to watch tonight, silly girl."

Releasing the breath she'd been holding, Mei peeked up at him. "Okay. I'll send you the address then and meet you at 8pm?"

Igarashi awarded her a pat on the head before preparing to leave. "Sounds great. Surprise me for dinner?"

Mei nodded enthusiastically. "I'll try my best!"

Smirking playfully at her, Igarashi's voice turned low and husky, "It's a date then, Mei-chan." After giving her a wink at the door, he was gone.

Mei was still frozen, uncertain if she should take what he said literally. There was no way; it had to be just a joke.

 **XXX**

Mei tried to forget all about the nervous jitters as she served the people at the restaurant. After a shift where she had managed to work hard yet not exhaust herself, she was able to call it a day. Mei sat very patiently as she waited for Igarashi, finally allowing herself to dwell on the fact that he'd called their meet-up as a date.

Checking her phone, two texts from Igarashi told her that he had left practice and was on his way to her. Thankfully the text messages weren't too far away from the time she'd jumped in the shower, so she seemed to have some time to get dressed and grab the takeaway. Well, she just hoped he hadn't started waiting yet.

When she was packing her bag to leave the locker room, Mei noticed her phone vibrate. Igarashi's name flashed brightly on her phone screen.

Mei took a quick breath in and answered, "Hello? Is everything alright, Igarashi? I hope you haven't been waiting long. I just finished up here and need to grab our food." As she questioned him, she heard a laugh from the other end of the line.

"Hello to you, too, Mei-chan. Why does your rushed answer sound like I'm interrogating you?"

"Of course not," she replied before sensing his smile through the phone. Sure enough, a laugh echoed soon after.

"I thought you wanted to see me, Mei-chan," he spoke at the tail end of his laughter. "Does that mean you won't accept a hug from me?" He asked. Again, she couldn't tell if he was being serious.

When she replied, her voice sounded flustered and she stuttered out, "T—that's not true. O-of course—I-I well of course I want to see you." Mei pushed her way out of the locker room and grabbed the takeaway containers the chef had set out on the back counter for her.

"Where are you, by the way?"

"I'm coming out from that back now," Mei ventured that he was nearby yet didn't want to assume. "And I have our food. I hope you like miso soup and hamburger steak."

"That sounds good," he sighed appreciatively over the phone. "Ahhh, I haven't had hamburger steak in ages. Does it have an egg on top?"

"Yep!" Mei said cheerfully, relieved that he didn't oppose her choice. Once she entered the main dining area, she immediately set down the containers on a table and leaned against a sturdy chair.

Switching her phone to her other ear, she didn't bother to glance around the room despite how the atmosphere had quieted down. The restaurant typically was relatively empty once she finished up her shift, the push of dinner rush now vanquished.

Catching sight of her, Igarashi snuck up behind her and pulled her in for a backwards embrace. "Guess who?" He whispered into her ear, chest rumbling with the beginnings of laughter.

That's until he realized her entire body had stiffened at his touch, the action accompanied by a small whimper. It was like her body completely shutdown out of defense.

Spinning her around quickly, his face turned very concerned. "Mei-chan?"

"Oh Igarashi-san... it's you," she observed, visibly relaxing in an instant.

"Jeez. I really freaked you out there," Igarashi released a resigned sigh before preparing to apologize for acting careless.

"Sorry," she apologized with a lost look in her eyes. "I'm not used to being hugged in public. It surprised me."

An incredulous expression overtook Igarashi's face. "Sato didn't hug you in public?" That didn't sound right or believable at all.

"Nope," she admitted easily with a shrug. "I got excited once and forgot he didn't like it. I still have a tiny scar on my leg from falling down."

Igarashi stared at her in shock, "Sato pushed you to the ground for hugging him in public?"

"Well he said he needed his space and didn't like clingy girls," Mei murmured as she concentrated on the floorboards. "It was a bit of bad luck that I fell on something sharp, though."

"How exactly is hugging someone you care about considered clingy? Not to mention you got hurt because of it." Igarashi rolled his eyes, "Anyways, I'm sorry for scaring you. Come on, let's eat," he told her before smiling but it appeared strained.

"Did I make you angry, Igarashi?"

As they sat down at the table, the dark haired man tenses up with a frown. "Angry?" He considered the emotion while concentrating on the ceiling. "Not at you," he confessed without reluctance. The one he _was_ pissed off at was a certain soccer captain that had them run a ridiculous amount of laps today.

"I'm so sorry," Mei apologized as she dropped into a deep bow, which made Igarashi deeply concerned.

"What? Why?" he asked as his attention snapped back to her, instantly checking to see if he had hurt her somehow.

"I felt like I offended you." "He knows your real name," she said as Kuon sighed with a nod, "I'm really sorry, Igarashi-san."

Igarashi sighed and shook his head, chuckling a little. "You know, you cannot blame yourself for everything. And will you drop the formality already? We are equals. You apologize too much."

"Sorr—" Those green eyes cut her off with a glare.

"I wasn't angry at you, Mei. That anger is reserved for Sato," he said

and watched her in a protective manner. He was uncertain of all she had to endure while with Sato, and even before, but he hated how afraid she appeared at times. "You deserve to be happy even if that involves something as simple as a hug."

"Such a kind soul," Mei said genuinely as Igarashi sighed.

"I do try, you know. I really do try," Igarashi teased back at her, causing her to laugh. An action that he continued to do throughout the meal as though it was his personal quest. And once Igarashi smiled, Mei suddenly felt a lot better.

It was like his smile could seep deep into her heart, the warm invigorated and calmed her. "It's like a cup of hot tea on a cold day," Mei whispered to herself.

"What's that? I don't see any tea." Igarashi cast a look about the table and turned back towards her as he frowned. "Are you cold? I thought it was warm out but I tend to run warm."

Mei shook her head with a smile yet avoided his eyes. "I'm okay. Forget I said anything."

Instead of listening to her, the man beside her shrugged out of his jacket and placed it over her shoulders. Even turning her head a bit, Mei could tell that it smelled like him.

She really liked feeling his warmth, even if he was just sitting close beside her. Compared to what she had with Koya there was a world apart. Koya was definitely not as sweet as Igarashi or as kind...but why did she even compare the two?

Quite desperately she needed to take the focus off of herself, she also needed to distract her pounding heart. "Thank you," the brunette managed to say to him.

"Oh! How was practice?" Mei questioned as the topic suddenly popped into her head when they'd finished their meal.

"It was practice," Igarashi replied as he thought of Sato's attempts to threaten him. Even if the captain was unaware of his rendezvousing with Mei, Sato appeared to constantly be searching for a fight.

All at once, the expression on her face dropped into dismal at the word practice.

"Is something the matter?" he asked as he reached for her hand and saw her weak smile.

"Maybe we can have another practice session tonight to draw the next chapter," she said quickly before she turned pink and looked down. Perhaps that was too much, too forward of her. "I'm sorry, I know that you just asked to watch anime and eat dinner with me. If you don't want…"

Running a hand through his hair, he wondered slightly if it would be better for him to create some distance between them. "Am I included in anything you want? Not just some character, but _me_."

There was an expression on Igarashi's face that Mei had never seen before, a strained sort of look paired with a pink flush dabbed on his cheeks.

"Eh?" Mei blinked, taken aback. "Yes, of course I want you to come over. You're always welcome to come over... I admire and respect you a whole lot for all you've done for me."

"Just kidding," he winked with that easy grin, backing down. "To be honest I can be a bit selfish and wanted to release some tension, so I teased you."

"Tease me..." Mei considered what he meant by tension but couldn't quite decipher the reason. "Oh, are you sore from soccer club practicing? You don't have to force yourself to help me. Like I said, I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

Leave it to Mei to take things quite literally.

"You know, I think you probably don't understand me," he said with the flash of a sad smile.

"I think I do. You don't have to worry about the stuff that Koya or anyone else did," Mei frowned in concern. "You've already been so kind to me. You don't have to push yourself to help me, especially if you're tired and sore."

Igarashi chuckled, covering his face as his mouth dropped open and he gasped slightly for air. "No, you really don't understand. But it's okay."

Mei decided that she liked every new expression that surfaced from his face, ones that she'd never seen as she pieced his character together. Slowly discovering the parts that made him Igarashi, while she smiled happily along the way.

It's too bad she was misunderstanding every damn thing.

 **XXX**

"So you want to go to Comiket?"

"Yeah, but I've never had anyone to go with and I'd been hiding..." Mei trailed off, not wanting to bring up Koya again.

"But you'd been hiding it from Sato, right?" He finished for her, jamming his hands into his pockets as they neared her apartment.

"Yeah," she admitted softly, watching Igarashi's long legs take two steps at a time until they were at her door. "And I was nervous to go alone."

As she opened the door and they shuffled inside the apartment, Mei noticed the man next to her fidgeting as though debating something in his head.

"Let's buy tickets then," Igarashi said as if it were the simplistic solution in the world. "You want to go, right? I'll go with you."

Mei's eyes widened, her mouth dropped open as she turned towards him. "You'll go with me?"

"Sure," he shrugged. "You said you were nervous about going alone, so I thought the offer would be helpful... Or did you not want me to tag along?"

"No-no! That's not it. I just feel bad. You sure that it won't be troublesome for you?" Mei asked, torn. She really did want to go. But Igarashi was already helping her out with so much.

"No," Igarashi assured her, bending forward to ruffle her hair. "I like your company anyways."

"All right," Mei finally agreed, reaching up to pat the hand on her head. Straightening up, she locked eyes with him and subconsciously leaned forward as though draw to his nice scent. "You're so unbelievably kind, Igarashi."

Igarashi swallowed audibly, eyeing her lips with his hand now buried in her hair. He was on the verge of massaging her scalp the way his fingers tensed and relaxed on repeat. Instead, gripping Mei's hair on impulse, he decided to gently pull her towards him.

Before he wavered, Igarashi captured her lips in a soft kiss that held just a hint of heat and sealed it with a promise that there was more where that came from. As his arms arms curled around her and held her close, Mei felt Igarashi's heart thudding, and realized hers was beating just as hard.

He wanted to ask her how she felt about the kiss, if she would accept more from him as a man. If she would consider _him_. And the emotions developing between them because it could not just be him feeling this way, right?

"Did you want to practice the scenes a bit now?" She asked breathlessly, barely formulating a coherent thought other than not wanting him to leave just yet. In truth, she'd forgotten about their intention to watch an anime of her choice.

Unfortunately, Igarashi had not forgotten and felt a pinch in his chest. _Is this all she wants me here for?_ He silently wondered. _This is all I am to her; isn't it?_

Rather than answer her, he circled around her and kissed behind her right ear—where he heard her gasp softly. Mimicking the position he'd used in the restaurant, Igarashi embraced her from behind so that he back was against his chest. Like a vulture circling his prey, his green eyes followed the goosebumps left behind as his arms relieved her of his jacket and skimmed her now bare arms.

"Oh so this is your weakness, huh?" He whispered in her ear and nibbled at the love from behind, causing her to shiver. "Mei-chan, I haven't even done anything yet. Is something wrong?"

Not trusting her voice, Mei managed to shake her head to deny anything was wrong.

"No?" His hand reached to cup the side of her face intending to have them face each other. "Look this way, Mei-chan. How do you want to start?"

"Eh? I don—"

Using his body to press her forward, Igarashi steered her to her bedroom. "Come with me," he muttered against the curve of her neck and back up. _She's just happily picking up what I've offered her again_.

Upon reaching the doorway to her bedroom, Igarashi turned her to face him with tender caress to her ribs. Like last time, Mei twitched at his touch even though it was over her clothes.

"Should you ask it, I'll slowly begin to try to make you—your MC melt. How do you want it?" Igarashi noticed her trembling and walked her backwards until the back of her legs buckled against her bed. Once she was pushed on, Igarashi followed along with her and brushed locks of hair behind her ear. "I'll tell you what your MC's love interest will do to start and then you communicate back."

"Y-yes," Mei nodded.

"Last time we stopped at touching and tasting your breasts; is that still okay to do today?"

The brunette in front of him blushed, but nodded her head in consent. "You can."

"Can I kiss you, too?" He asked kindly while twirling a lock of her hair that'd fallen across her face. "Would that be okay?"

Mei smiled shyly, the thought of her last kiss with him caused her eyes to stray on that mouth. "Yes."

With a smile, Igarashi tilted his head and mused. "Yes to _what_?"

She locked eyes with him, uncertain of whether to be afraid of how his eyes appeared closed off. "You can kiss me, Igarashi."

Deep inside his head, Igarashi wondered if she would ever just want to kiss him. Not for a project or practice, but for...what? Affection? Lust? Love?

"Your wish is my command," was his playful response.

As he pushed away from the torrent of his mind, Igarashi kissed her deeply, stealing her breath and warming her as his tongue swept into her mouth. When a moan slipped passed Mei's lips, he shifted to the side, taking her with him until he guided her onto his lap facing him.

Giving her another searing kiss, his fingers fiddled with the bottom of her shirt and tugged upward. Before she could blink, he'd stripped her down and unsnapped her bra until she was topless. "Is this what you want?" He asked as he gently brushed his thumbs and then flicked his tongue against both her nipples.

Smiling down at her as she released another moan, he placed an open mouthed kiss on her right breast and palmed the both of them. "You're so sensitive," he teased as he gave her left breast a rougher squeeze. "You doing okay?"

Mei panted heavily, but managed to nod as she watched him kiss and lick at her breasts.

Gripping her hips firmly, Igarashi snapped his hips into an upward thrust, prompting Mei to throw her head back with a louder moan. "Tell me...what... your feeling...Mei-chan." He emphasized each word with thrusts, while he searched her eyes and continued guiding her hips. They soon found their rhythm together, causing his words to fade into the background of searing kisses and low moans.

"Can we...take off your shirt?" Mei asked with a flush and he accepted her request, easily slipping his shirt over his head with one arm.

"How does it feel?" He asked with a sweet touch to her swollen lips. "Talk to me, yeah?"

That warm gaze looked dazed for a moment before focusing on him, panting out, "When you touch me...kiss me...taste me, it feels so good. I get shivers."

Igarashi gulped, his own body shivered at her words. "Oh yeah?" The grip he had on her hips tightened, but didn't bruise. "Do you want me to continue?"

He was slipping in their dialogue, on the verge of catapulting away his senses. And for fuck sake was he hard, Mei had to feel it as he rubbed against her core even if they both still had bottom layers on.

"Yes," was her reply, bordering on a whimper.

Mei grabbed hold of his shoulders for support, closed her eyes and lost herself, grinding hard against his thrusts. His hands shifted to her waist, caressing upward over her ribs, then her breasts, palming them and toying with the nipples.

"You said I could taste you all I wanted, right?" Igarashi playfully smirked then replaced his hands with his mouth. After studying Mei's body language, he continued licking, sucking and gently biting at her breasts. Scraping her nipples lightly with his teeth, he laved the sensitive flesh with his tongue, which caused her to tremble. Then he did the same on her shoulders and neck.

Mei lost herself in the sensation of Igarashi's hands and lips roaming her body, of how he moved against her, and the rising wave of tension that she felt would crash—shattering pleasure across the shoreline.

"Do you like it when I'm being rough?" Igarashi murmured against the base of her neck, teasing the skin there. "That's no good. You can't seem to hold back your voice, can you?"

Mei shivered a bit at the man above her, he seemed a little frightening despite his smile. She had to remind herself that it was Igarashi, someone that she respected and who was kind to her.

"You like it, don't you?" He carefully eyed her, the tone of his voice teasing. "I want to hear more of that voice..."

His lips moved down her throat, nipped her shoulder, and tasted around the swell of her breast. Fingers toyed with her skirt, and then he slipped it down her legs after she nodded in permission.

"Tell me if it feels good to you or not. If you don't like it then I won't do it anymore." A spark of worry flashed in his eyes when he was met with no response. "Mei-chan?"

"Igarashi..." Mei spoke his name softly, one of her hands grabbing his face. "I will tell you. I promise."

He nodded with some relieved tension before he continued, openly staring at the vision before him. A beautiful woman clad in only her panties, completely vulnerable and at his mercy.

"Next the character would say, 'I want to make a mess out of you,' as his hand traced a path to your panties." Igarashi's hand traced the same path as his description, but his fingers stopped above Mei's panties.

He dragged his pointer finger in a line back and forth to tease the skin but didn't stray downward. Igarashi checked for any signs of distress or panic before he continued.

"Then you'd be told to put your hands up here," he took one of Mei's wrists in his hand—he kissed and nipped at the skin as he held it—and placed it above her head. Then he grasped her other hand and used it to flip her onto her stomach. "You'd be asked to turn around like this with your hips slightly raised. That's just right, good girl. I'll be right behind you."

As he'd said, Igarashi moved behind her, his body hovered above her yet not suffocating. "You'd feel a light touch at your hip," he noted as he followed his words like breadcrumbs to her left hip. There he stroked gently at skin around her panties, fingertips grazing underneath but not intruding.

It was a silent request for permission.

No; that wasn't it, Mei pondered through a haze of pleasure and want. Meanwhile, Igarashi knew exactly what he was doing. He wanted Mei to beg for it; to have her plead for his hands to touch overtop her wet panties and feel his fingers.

And Yuusuke Igarashi was one patient man.

"I could press into you from behind, not touching underneath your panties. I could circle my hips against you to find out if your feeling good down here, too." So badly did he want to touch her where she'd be most sensitive, but he pulled back.

"Your panties seem to be wet, Mei-chan. Have you ever—" Igarashi exhaled slowly, reining in some control. "Have you ever tried touching yourself before?"

"Where?" Mei asked faintly, hips quivering in anticipation. The motion caused Igarashi's control to snap.

He moved his body back, hips flush with hers from behind as though prepared to take her from the rear. Igarashi's wandering right hand pressed his middle and index finger overtop her panties, where her entrance throbbed and dripped. "Here," he said as he circled his fingers. "Have you ever touched yourself here?"

Mei blushed as she moaned. "Y-yes," she confessed. "But it felt strange and kind of hurt."

The dark-haired male behind her blinked, a slight sense of guilt claimed him at her innocent honesty. "Let's...let's stop for now, Mei." He muttered the suggestion into her shoulder blade, his forehead pressed against the top of her back as he delivered a single kiss to her sensitive skin.

After sitting up from his spot on the bed, Igarashi grabbed a throw blanket to cover Mei's exposed body. She looked at him curiously as he tucked the blanket around her sides. "Why did we stop?" The blush on her face intensified.

He tipped his head back and laughed at the ceiling. His eyes flash bright as he turns back towards her.

"You know it was the right thing to do," Igarashi said and pressed a kiss to Mei's cheekbone. "I've given you a lot of material after all." There comment was laced with bitterness yet it was misinterpreted by the woman curled into a blanket beside him.

"I wanna touch you, too!"

Igarashi jolted back onto his knees, eyes widened in surprise at Mei's demand. He leaned for forward and smirked, "Is that the MC's line?"

The blush staining her cheeks darkened. "Did I...was that weird to say?"

Igarashi stared down at her. It was like she just blurted out whatever popped into her head whenever they were practicing together.

He handed her his shirt to put on which ended up fitting her too large. "Is this better?" The question was paired with a gesture to her body.

Without reply, Igarashi flipped them on the bed, lifted her body with his hands at the back of her thighs, and laid back against the pillows at the top of her bed. Now he had the perfect view of her heaving chest hovering above him and felt those bare thighs tremble even after he released his hands so that Mei's bottom rested just above his lap. He would give her the option to roll her bottom backwards to feel his hardened erection. It would be Mei's choice to take things further, like always Igarashi was patient.

He cleared his throat, attracting her attention, and said "You wanted to touch me. Sure...go ahead." As if waving a white flag of surrender, Igarashi held up his hands and gave her access to him.

What he wasn't expecting was Mei's reaction.

"Really?!" Excitement consumed the tone of her voice.

"Whoa!" Igarashi panted out, a pained wince crossing his features when her bottom bounced backwards directly on his groin.

His groan echoed against the walls.

"Oops! Sorry," Mei apologized and shifted so she wasn't crushing his now throbbing erection and nearly crushed testicles. "Sorry sorry. I got all weird again, huh? And I hurt you. How can I help?" Her gaze shifted downward to inspect the bulged area in the center of his pants and blushed.

Igarashi exhaled into the palm of his hand, attempting to will away any lingering pain. Closing his eyes, he reasoned with her. "One minute, okay?"

Mei moved her whole body as she nodded in encouragement and told him to take his time.

"Would rubbing it help?" She asked quietly after a long bout of silence.

Restraining another groan, Igarashi covered his face with one hand and pinched the bridge of his nose in attempt for some control. He couldn't take advantage of her dedication to her work, that was evident to him. Hell yes, he wished she would open up his pants and rub him until he came but he was not a douchebag. Igarashi was here to help her with her manga—that's all. But for fucks sake, Mei wasn't making it easy saying things like that without thinking.

"Crap. Did I say something wrong, or mess up again?"

"No..." he replied in a forced calm and collected tone. "That's not it... Just—just give me another moment, please."

"Okay..."

"This has crossed my mind before, but... you really should be more on guard. Even with me. You ask me to practice these this with you, Mei-chan, yet you don't fathom what I can do to you. Just because it's me, it doesn't mean there is no risk."

She appreciated his assistance, but to this moment, Mei couldn't figure out what it meant. She was beginning to see vividly how Igarashi ran deeper than he appeared, though he was amazing at covering it up. This was definitely one of those times.

Still, he did not act like that around her until _now,_ as though he were overwhelmed by her mere presence. The woman in front of him should be more on her guard. I'm all reality, _he_ should also give that advice to himself. Where did Igarashi get off telling her to be more careful with vulnerability when he rushed headlong into another relationship?

"Let's just watch an anime," Igarashi finally said, heaving a long sigh. "We did say that's what we were going to do tonight. Go draw your manga while I watch some of the trailers you suggested then we can decide."

Sooner than he expected, Mei returned to his side with her sketchbook long forgotten. "Igarashi..." She bit her lip as she searched his face for irritation or anger.

Pausing the last trailer on his phone screen, he stood up from the bed to assess the woman wearing his shirt. Whatever he seemed to find in her eyes reassured him, and he stepped closer to wrap his arms around her. "I will hug you whenever you want," Igarashi muttered before lifting her off her feet. "I will carry you however you wish." He touched his mouth to Mei's temple as he laid her on the bed, fingers curling into each other's hair on impulse.

"Igarashi..." Mei managed his name with a sense of frailty. Her eyes looked on the verge of watering.

"Shhh..." Igarashi silenced her with a touch to her lips. "I'm not mad, Mei. Don't cry." _I'm merely disappointed in how our relationship became tangled._

As he laid beside her, stroking her hair lightly, and simply listened to their sounds mingle. He listen to the sound of them breathing together, studying each inhale and exhale.

"Let's watch Devil's Line," Mei said softly as Igarashi pulled the blankets up and over them. "That's my choice."

While they watched the first episode, Igarashi listened to and felt her heart beat, warmly pressed against his own.

The person he had been in the past would have been unable to fathom this situation because Kae had always been just out of reach. But Mei was different, a strange and sweet woman that looked at him.

And, for once, he might be able to share mutual happiness with someone. Just maybe.

 **A/N:**

Thank you for all the new reviews and follows/favorites! They always pump me up to write and this turned out waaay long because of that kind of writers high.

Anyways review! Please tell me what you think or if you have a favorite quote from Anastasia.


	7. Chapter 7: If it's you, it's okay

**All identifiable content concerning Anastasia as well as Kiss Him, Not Me does not belong to me! I also do not own Banana Fish and Code Breaker! Now that we've established that disclaimer, enjoy one of my favorite quotes of Anastasia and the story.**

 **XXX**

 **Anastasia** : [after waking up, flailing her arm and smacking Dimitri in the nose] Oh, sorry. I thought you were someone el - oh, it's you. Well, that's okay, then.

Anastasia, 1997.

 **XXX**

 **Chapter 7: If it's you, it's okay.**

It was morning when Mei noticed the warmth of another body against her back. To say she was startled would be an understatement.

She pressed her cheek against the muscled chest and breathed in a pleasant, warm scent. _Am I still dreaming? How strange..._

Through blurry eyes she stared at the male hand covering her right hip, the fingers splayed against her skin in a way that skimmed the top of her panties. "Waaa," Mei blinked down at the hand and jerked upright, her elbow accidentally smacking into the ribs of body next to her.

The man in bed with her groaned at the rough awakening. "There are other ways you could wake me, you know..." Igarashi peeked open one eye.

"Like what?" Mei asked curiously. She slightly peered down at him, and he leaned closer to whisper close to her ear.

"Gentler for one," the dark haired male breathed out as he rubbed his side. _Damn did that woman have pointy elbows._

Mei winced, expression turning apologetic. "S-sorry. I was startled." Then the look on her face turned intrigued, an expression that Igarashi's dropping stomach had come to know. _She's going to ask for advice..._ Squirming with morning wood, his head warned him to focus and remain controlled. "How would I wake you up? In the case of a manga scenario..."

 _Aw, hell._ Igarashi had anticipated her choice of words to almost perfection.

"A little like this, Mei-chan..." His voice was pitched low and sweet in her ear as he slid his hand behind Mei's head, carding his fingers through her hair. "I'm going to go with improv here, but tell me if you don't like something."

She let him press a sudden kiss against her earlobe and wiggled. "Mmm!" Mei gasped, voice bearing a whimper. She laughed in surprise, but felt herself blushing as Igarashi gently slid her earlobe between his teeth.

"You're so cute when you blush." Igarashi commented, releasing Mei and pulling back to look at her face. His self-satisfied smile caused the blush on Mei's face to deepen.

"Igarashi..." Mei began and captured her bottom lip with her teeth, biting nervously.

Igarashi caught her warm cheeks between his hands, stroking them gently with his thumbs.

"I'm beginning to love watching your reactions," Igarashi teased. He continued to smile up at Mei, while she pouted from above him.

Despite her embarrassment, Mei was filled with happiness and warmth at his touch, and she couldn't prevent a smile from creeping on her face for long.

 _It feels like I'm dreaming right now..._ Mei thought quietly and sighed as she thought about all the times she'd woken up beside Koya. It was never like this. Why was this so different?

As though reading her thoughts, Igarashi's eyes widened in surprise at the expression on her face. He pulled Mei into his arms and snuggled her, allowing his face to be buried in the heat their bodies shared. After a drawn out sigh, a flushed Igarashi cupped her chin and drew her towards him.

"Igarashi...san." Mei breathed out his name, wide eyed and focused on the reddened cheeks before her.

Shifting slightly, Igarashi picked Mei up by the waist and placed her on top of him. His hand uncovered the veil of hair that had fallen into her eyes, and he looked at her closely. He traced her bottom lip with his thumb, causing a heat to build within Mei that rivaled the night before.

"That look on your face...Don't you understand what that vulnerable look can do to someone?" His voice was husky as he whispered the words and slid his hand behind Mei's head, pulling her closer.

"Ummm?"

Igarashi's low sigh caressed Mei's lips, and then he kissed her. "How it makes me..." his dazed, dream-like voice murmured softly as he pulled away from her. And then he froze—as though waking up.

"What's wrong? Are you hungry?" Mei asked him, glancing worriedly as he held her in his arms. Pressed against his firm body, she felt him heave a sigh and rest his cheek against her neck.

Chuckling slightly, the dark haired male squirmed below the waist in attempt to not poke her with his hardness. He's nearly forgotten about that situation, but her body on top of his was a quick reminder.

"Not for food," Igarashi coughed out quietly, causing Mei's heart to start pounding hard. That comment sent a sudden thrilling shiver down her spine as it engendered vivid recollections of what they'd done the night before.

Desire peaked inside her—she wanted to feel the softness of his warm skin over hard muscle, the slight roughness of his calloused fingertips against her thighs again. She wanted to hold him, touch him back, and breathe in his scent. Feeling startled by the emotions inside, Mei wrapped her arms around him as though she never wanted to let him go.

The craving ramped up so strong that her hands boldly slipped beneath his shirt, letting them explore and caress the smooth skin of his back. Curiousity peaked as she heard his breath catch.

Perhaps she'd been too forceful and selfish, however, for she didn't receive much of an ardent response beyond his pulling her closer. Instead he held back for some reason and that ignited a little spark of worry in Mei's heart.

"What time is it?" The tone was coated with dread.

"Just after eight." She replied after glancing at her phone. "Why?"

Running a hand over his face, the dark haired male groaned. "Dammit. I'm gonna be late for practice."

Ten minutes later, the selfish yet forceful hands that had begged not to let Igarashi go now pressured for his departure. "I'm sorry to run off like this, but thank you. I enjoyed last night—"

"Igarashi-san! I enjoyed it, too, but you're late. Go! I don't want you to get in trouble."

"Fine, fine." Igarashi already felt exhausted and relented.

It wasn't until after Mei'd shoved a slice of toast in his mouth and pushed him out the door that an empty feeling began to settle inside, but he had no time to think on it. Even as he ran, his thoughts automatically returned to the woman he had just left behind.

Then, in what felt like record time, his footsteps brought him to the outside of the locker room. Through panting breaths, Igarashi realized how broadly he was grinning, and pressed a hand over his mouth. "Damn," he sighed _. I need to get it together, so the captain doesn't suspect and make practice an issue._

Forcing himself to scatter his thoughts of Mei, he tried to cool the heat rising up inside him. Along with a twinge of yearning.

He scowled to himself and turned back to focus on getting to soccer practice. One glance at his watch told him he was in a world of trouble, and the captain of the soccer club was the last person he wanted to deal with.

Yet, he could not bring himself to regret any of it.

Meanwhile, back in Mei's room, she was facing a problem as well. Upon realizing her efforts to concentrate on drawing were lost, she'd flopped helplessly onto her bed. _Even with all the material from this morning and last night..._ She felt exasperated with herself _._

Images of a certain boy's talented mouth on her skin flashed behind her eyes. The flustered girl could hardly blink without heat coursing through her body.

Mei grabbed a pillow and rolled onto her back, staring up at the ceiling. _Of all the things for me to think about_... It was only supposed to be a project that he was helping her with and yet she was losing focus.

Feeling embarrassment rush into her cheeks, Mei squeezed her eyes shut and covered her face with her hands. _It's not like he is having trouble concentrating, in fact, Igarashi was even so kind as to help me this morning. Why am I feeling so..?_

In attempt to distract herself, she turned her gaze to the window and looked up at the sky.

"I know." She'd finally come up with a obvious solution. "I'll watch something new to recharge."

A goal in her head, she pulled out her phone and began her search. What Mei didn't understand was that her "goal" was merely distraction from the frenzied emotions generating inside her. All for someone who was _not_ a 2D boy.

 **XXX**

It was several days later, and Mei was waiting for Igarashi to finish up a late afternoon into evening soccer practice. Opting not to stand in the usual spot she had waited for Koya, she decided to observe the clouds swirling with color.

 _This scene is reminiscent of the opening where Sakura first encountered Ogami_... Before she knew it, Mei ventured off into her own world again. A world where she was buried in fascinating stories, heart pounding adventure, and beautiful 2D men.

She'd practically placed a space cadet helmet on and opened herself up to be startled.

"Mei?"

Her entire body jolted. It was her name, but goodness, did she act deaf to that fact. Turning towards the familiar voice addressing her, Mei's stomach plummeted. "Koya-kun..."

Koya Sato's head tilted, his feet stealing into her personal space. "Were you waiting for me?"

"No-nooo, not at all." Mei's eyes danced away from his piercing stare.

"Is that right?" Sato smirked with amusement, lifting Mei's chin towards him. Suddenly their faces were much closer than they had been, and Mei felt her stomach cramp. _This doesn't feel right..._

Her harried mind persisted. It didn't feel okay to be so near to him anymore.

She squirmed in obvious discomfort. "Koya, please stop. Let go."

The blonde haired male narrowed his eyes at her, his grip on her chin tightening. "Are you interested in someone else or something?"

Mei frowned in response to his accusation and sharp tone, trying to stop the blush creeping onto her face. "Stop it. That's enough," was her response as anger lit up her eyes.

This teasing or interrogation probably meant nothing to him, but Mei was finished being toyed with.

Locking eyes with her ex-boyfriend, she said what she was thinking. "I've been thinking...maybe the break should be permanent."

Sato's eyes widened in surprise at her words. A moment later, his hand fell away from her chin and hung limply at his side. "Has little Mei found someone else? Another soccer player to play with her, perhaps, hm?"

Mei blinked up at him defensively, and when he spoke again his voice was distant yet softer. "You do like him."

Mei studied his expression as she spoke, wondering what he was thinking. Once she finished summing up everything, Sato began to laugh.

"Igarashi, right? He's just using you, you know? I heard he's been hung up on some girl but you must be his distraction."

Mei paled, ignoring the warning that he was baiting her. "What? Where did you hear that?"

Sato laughed dryly. "An old fling that he's still interested in, or so I've heard. Rae or something..." He rubbed at his neck as if trying to recall.

Mei felt the color drain from her face as she tried desperately to make sense of his words, and she heard Koya sigh softly. "You probably should forget it then."

"I—I see." Mei stared at the ground, pretending the news didn't bother her. It _shouldn't_ bother her.

"You're the same pathetic girl I picked up off the ground years ago, you know that?" His eyes had iced over as much as his words. "I'll let you think on making the break permanent. But you probably should still change that part of yourself."

With those final words, Sato walked away without looking back. Mei watched his tall form as he strode off into the distance. For some reason she felt an odd ache in her heart at his words as he disappeared around the corner.

The street lights had clicked on at some point afterwards, yet Mei had lost sight of time as Koya's words echoed in her head. Still, she waited blindly for something—as though frozen.

"Mei?" As she was addressed again, she swallowed hard and her shoulders quivered just slightly. Was he back to torment her?

But when her eyes were greeted by a abashed looking Igarashi, a reassuring warmth flooded through her. "Sorry it took so long. We had to run drills even after the captain left..."

All sound faded into the background while Mei only heard the pounding of her heart, as she stood gawking at the man before her. _Goodness_...

Then Igarashi's gazed worriedly down at her, leaning in to whisper next to her ear. "Is everything okay?"

Widening her eyes at his words, Mei jolted and sprang into action. "Y-Yes! Er, that is I've been quite well."

He didn't seem completely happy with that forced reaction. The diffident expression on his face made Mei laugh.

"Mei? You're shivering," Igarashi's concerned voice filled her ears. "Geez, what were you doing? It was too cold for you to wait for me like this."

"No, not really." Mei shrugged but, in truth, she'd barely registered his question. Her attention was awed at the sight of him; attention zapped like a bolt of electricity. She remembered what she'd been waiting for, and her pulse skyrocketed. It's only been a few days and yet... Mei had missed him.

"Liar." With his index finger, he gently poked the top of her pink nose. "Your frigid nose tells a different tale."

Mei smiled away his concern. "I'm fine. It's not too cold out."

His hands cupped her cheeks, shielding the cold air and replaced it with sweet heat. _His hands are so toasty_! Mei thought euphorically as his touch warmed her up like a campfire.

"Geez, you're practically ice. You could have just waited for me at your place instead of out here. It's not too much of a walk for me."

Again she waved off his worried expression with a smile. "Don't worry about it. I don't mind waiting." To be honest, aside from the chilly weather, Mei enjoyed being able to see Igarashi as soon as possible.

 _For as many times as I've waited around for Koya, why did this feel so different_? Mei pondered over the issue distractedly.

Meanwhile, a pair of pale green eyes next to her worried and frowned. With a hand, he stopped Mei in her tracks.

"Hmm? Is something the matter?"

The man next to her chuckled. "That's my line. You seem distracted, did something happen?"

"Not really." She offered a small smile before releasing a shaky exhale. "Well, actually I saw Koya earlier."

Dark eyebrows lowered again as he silently contemplated her words. After a moment, he released a short sigh and spoke again.

"I'm sorry I kept you waiting that long. Did he saying anything to upset you?"

Shrugging her shoulders, she didn't really know how to answer the question. "Um, he was being Koya. It's just the way he is sometimes."

After studying her face for a bit, understanding dawning in his eyes. _Yeah. That idiot Sato definitely said something weird or hurtful to her._

Then he causally took up Mei's hand, gave it a squeeze, and continued walking as if the action was natural. Igarashi was nervous about the bold action but he hoped it would offer her comfort.

The tenderness in his voice made Mei's throat tighten. "Is this okay?"

"Yeah," was her dazed reply.

"So tell me where you would like to go today? I have an idea but just tell me where to go." _I want her to choose where to go. It seems like she didn't get to do that before with Sato._

Igarashi and Mei talked on their way into town. However it wasn't too soon before they heard footsteps quickly approaching from behind. Then a solid body collapsed onto Igarashi's back, strong arms dangled about his shoulders and a head of familiar blonde hair grinned down at Mei.

"Dammit, Nana. Get off of me." Igarashi tried to shake him off but his friend's grip refused to loosen.

"Manga girl!" Nana said cheerfully, ignoring Igarashi's grumbles. "Iga treating you okay?"

Mei rubbed the hand that had been collected by the man next to her moments ago, it felt lost and abandoned without that warmth. _But that just seems silly_... Mei trailed off the thought, criticizing herself harshly to be reminded of a few things. _This isn't a manga and he isn't a 2D boy with a character script. Why am I being so needy when he's only helping me?_

"Yeah," Mei said slowly. "We were just meeting up to go into town."

"Oh yeah? Did you know there is a comic store not to far away? A friend of ours said it's one of the best she's ever seen."

Igarashi stiffened at Nana's words, sending him a warning look.

"Yeah, I've been there a lot of times actually." Mei nodded her head in agreement. "Their stock is pretty good, lots of merch that's limited edition or specialized."

"What did you get?" Nana pressed, his tone teasing.

"Recently? Well, I picked up Code Breaker..." Realizing she had admitted her newest anime/manga binge, she bit her lip worriedly.

Igarashi nudged her hand with a grin, hoping the nonchalant action would soothe her nerves. "How many mangas is that now? You're workload sure is piling up. I'm going to have trouble staying updated."

A red tint entered her cheeks. "Well I—"

"You're staying updated?" Nana interrupted their playful exchange with a devilish gleam in his eye. "Well, you've done that before when pursuing—"

"Shut your trap, Nana." The warning was practically a growl. "Why do you keep trying to bring it up?"

The instant tension between the two was almost palpable, and Mei could only stare from Igarashi to Nana in confusion.

"Is something the matter?"

Nana glanced at Igarashi with a sigh before turning to Mei. "Everything is fine. Don't worry about it, I'm just annoying Iga."

Mei didn't look very convinced. "Are you sure? I can leave you two alone if you need to talk it out."

"No, it's fine." Nana replied with a lopsided grin. "Want to check out that merch you were just praising? We are pretty close to the shop now."

A bright, hopeful look filled her expression. "We can?" Then, as though critiquing herself, her excitement plummeted as she added, "that is... if you don't want to go anywhere else. Do you mind if we go?"

Nana gave her a curious yet slightly concerned look. Both males studied Mei, not liking the scared expression on her face. "I don't mind. Iga probably doesn't either." Nana turned to his friend who nodded in assurance.

"Yeah; why don't we go and you can show me the Curse Breaker manga? I'm curious to see if someone in it fits your type." He smiled at the thought, his eyes focused on the ground before glancing over at her.

Taking in her startled expression, he brightened even more at the idea. "Then we can get that ice cream, too. My treat."

Mei's mouth dropped open, practically catching flies. "What?!"

"Too cold?"

She shook her head at him. "No that's not it." Nana glanced between them and smiled.

"So how about it? Want to go, Manga girl?" He stuck out his tongue at Igarashi's slight pout.

A relieved grin spread across her face as she happily accepted the request. "Okay!"

Nana was correct in stating that the store was nearby, and after a short walk they stared at the window displays that were tediously familiar. Once they entered the store, Mei bowed at both men. "I'll just be a moment," she said before continuing determined steps.

"She's tenacious," Nana commented watching her shuffle away towards the section with cosplay merchandise.

Igarashi flashed a look at his friend. "You have no idea," Igarashi muttered and followed after the woman.

When Igarashi stood next to her, Mei jumped in surprise. Releasing a piece of silky fabric from her hands, she eyed him curiously. "Is everything alright?"

Igarashi flashed her a smile. "Yeah. I just wanted to hang out beside you."

Nana came up behind them and flicked a cosplay outfit with his fingers, there was a look in his eyes that promised trouble. "Do you watch any of this kind of anime, Manga girl?"

Mei studied the item with interest. "BL?" She sent a quick glance at Igarashi before she continued. "And, yes, I've watched Banana Fish. Have you?" The question was accompanied with a nod to the item Nana had flicked.

"I haven't." Nana denied. "Did you like it?"

"It's not really as simple as like or not," she said honestly. "It's heartbreaking yet thrilling."

"How so?" Igarashi asked, intrigued by her choice of words.

"Well, there is the contrasting natures of the two MCs for one. Ash being a stubborn but intelligent gang leader with a dark past, and Eiji a gentler character regaining his lost courage. The art is beautiful, the action scenes on-point, and the storyline is well done. Not as intensive in character building as the manga, but still good."

Nana frowned in confusion at the cosplay for Ash. "Why is it heartbreaking then?"

"The story is not a happy one. It gets you emotionally invested, allowing you to care deeply about the characters before tragedy after tragedy occurs."

"Is the BL graphic?"

Mei shook her head. "According to reviews and what I've read, Banana Fish is famous for being one of the formative works in the BL genre and has a good number of LGBT fans. If anyone is misled by the "Yaoi" tags in the series, there is actually nothing sexual in the relationship, it is purely platonic. Those the hints of homosexuality can make some people uncomfortable."

Mei when through her explanation while tracing her finger over the cosplay for Eiji, which was placed next to the merch for Ash. Igarashi and Nana just stared at her, rendered speechless.

Nana finally broke the silence. "Do you draw BL?"

"I'm not as comfortable drawing BL scenarios yet, so I haven't submit anything. Though I've tried to draw the storylines."

His friend nudged him lightly. "Hear that, Iga? She's not comfortable with it _yet,"_ Nana emphasized the word and smirked.

Igarashi glared at the blonde as a final warning.

"Why are you getting that demon lord look on your face, Igarashi-san?" Nana laughed at her choice of words, clearly enjoying himself.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it," Igarashi smiled kindly at her.

She blinked at him curiously for a moment, contemplating something before she continued. "Is it the topic of BL?"

Igarashi didn't know how to respond so he said nothing, merely staring at her.

"It's nothing to be concerned about really. From what I've seen it's mostly like shojo just with men and it doesn't have to be physical."

As he listened to Mei talk about her observations on BL, the two of them strayed over to manga. "So where is the Code Breaker series?" Igarashi casually switched topics. "I want to see if there is a character that fits your fetish."

Mei fell silent, which only made the man next to her try harder to find the manga himself. "Ah ha! Found it." There was a rueful grin on his face as he flipped through the pages of the manga's first volume. "Let's see...Hmm."

Mei had a cautious expression as she watched him—as though she was about to be ridiculed.

Igarashi's smile grew ever so slightly when he found what he was looking for on the colored cover of the volume. "Dark hair and blue eyes again this time, eh?"

"Yes," she admitted softly with a blush. "He's quite attractive."

"Is that all?"

Mei considered his question for a moment and then shook her head. "Actually no. The progression of his character was rough a first but he's...fascinating." A sliver of her beautiful smile peeked into Igarashi's view. He looked like he wanted to say something but was holding back. "What?"

"Your expression changes so much." He smiled gently down at her as he placed the volume back on the shelf.

"Ah... Sorry about that." Mei said nervously with a sigh, embarrassment flooded her cheeks.

"Why are you apologizing? I like watching your expressions, so it's a good thing."

Her pulse sped up a little at his words; meanwhile, Mei worried over her thoughts and reactions to the man in front of her. Somewhere in the distance bells chimed in worship. Time seemed to be moving so fast and yet languidly at the same time.

Opening her mouth to speak, Mei winced as her voice cracked. "Thank you for saying that."

Igarashi could feel his heart thudding as he watched her, but he spoke all the same, choosing his words with care. "I'm just speaking the truth, Mei-chan."

Mei looked down at the ground, and then raised her head to meet his eyes with a look of determination. _Maybe he doesn't understand that he is kind? Either way I want him to know that I appreciate his words._

She stated the words firmly, honest in every syllable. "I appreciate you."

Igarashi froze at the intensity in her eyes.

"No ones ever told me that before so thank you." Mei said, gratefully.

Finally finding his voice, he slowly replied, "like I said, I was only speaking the truth."

"You're really very kind, huh?"

Mei smiled at him as she spoke her mind, and Igarashi's expression turned almost shy somehow.

Igarashi reached out slowly, his fingers caressing Mei's lower lip. When he spoke his voice was husky and tired.

"Kind, huh? You keep saying that." He sighed, his gaze dropping to the floor as he muttered the words to himself. "Such a little weirdo."

Despite his words, a gentle smile still hovered at the edges of his lips. He had nearly taken advantage of her multiple times yet she characterized him as kind. How naive was she? So reckless, but she wasn't stupid. Though, if it wasn't him acting out her requests, Mei could have found herself in a world of trouble.

Mei frowned, puzzled by his dismissiveness. To her, he was kind and considerate, so she naturally expressed that fact. "How is that weird?"

In spite of his smile, Igarashi was studying Mei carefully, and met her gaze directly. "What would you do if I wasn't really as kind as you think?"

 _That's quite the question_. Mei thought it over with a sigh.

"Despite what your saying, I believe you're a kind man. I know it's strange but..." Mei's hands gripped her skirt, the fabric wrinkling slightly. How did she explain to him that there was a gentleness about him that instilled trust? "...and that I don't know you all that well...but I just know that you're kind. I just know it."

She spoke firmly, and Igarashi's eyes widened with surprise for a moment. Then his expression relaxed, a small but genuine smile quirked his lips.

"You're something else, Mei-chan." He laughed again, but his expression was a gentle one. "But thank you for the compliment."

At his words, Mei breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm not sure you're right..." he admitted. Their eyes met as his fingers twined with her, curling tight to hold—as though afraid she'd slip away like a mirage. "But thank you, Mei."

Flashing a shy smile his way, Mei nodded. "It's no trouble. Just being honest—but, er, you're welcome."

A moment later Igarashi began to laugh gently again. "Don't change okay? For anyone."

Mei nodded firmly, a smile beaming on her face as reassurance to him, and Igarashi went on without hesitation. "Anyways, did you want to look around some more? I don't want to rush you, but the ice cream shop might close soon."

Mei scrambled for a reply, suddenly nervous. "Oh yes! I'm quite finished. Sorry for the wait."

"It's no trouble." He assured her. "I don't mind waiting, but if you're done I'd like to treat you."

After they'd left the store and began walking again, there was a sudden shout from behind the trio. A friend of Nana's was calling him away, gesturing him over to the group.

Nana narrowed his eyes and waved at them. "I'm coming! Give me a moment."

Nana winked at Igarashi and Mei before running off to join the group. "Get an ice cream to share for me, okay?" He shouted with a laugh, and then he was gone. Leaving behind a heavy silence in his wake.

"Oh yeah. Have you watched or read BL before?" _Oh boy, here we go_. He thought with a hint of exasperation.

"My...friend had an interest in it." _Boy was that an understatemen_ t. But his thoughts did not stop there, his mind tormented him with memories of Kae. _Yes, Kae had an interest in it and I had an interest in Kae._

Mei looked curious at the news. "What did you think of it?"

Igarashi considered the question seriously. "Not really for me but I could see the appeal. At least, I could see why Kae—" After the name slipped out, he bite off the rest of his sentence and swallowed.

 _Kae_. The name sunk both of their stomachs.

In his intent gaze at the sky, Igarashi missed the color draining from Mei's face.

Somehow, she managed to smile through the confusion building inside her.

"Want to hold hands again?" It was a shy request, barely audible but he heard it.

"Sure, I'd like that."

"Thank you," she said softly. She smiled as she gazed down at their linked hands. It caused Igarashi to glance at them himself.

For some reason, this seemed like a special moment to Igarashi—as though he should store away the valuable memory. There was an urge to hold onto the happiness bursting inside for as long as possible. "Let's go get some ice cream, Mei-chan."

 **XXX**

The ice cream shop was packed, but a lot of the crowd didn't seem to be concerned with getting a frozen treat. No, they were too consumed with the eye-candy and certain brown-haired woman was sitting with.

If Igarashi noticed the lingering looks, he didn't show it. _Well...he does have really striking features._

Mei turned around to find two girls scoffing and laughing, their eyes narrowed as they studied them. "He's handsome, but do you think that's his sister or something?"

"For sure," her friend giggled back. "I want to give him my number."

Unfortunately, Mei was hearing every word of their conversation while Igarashi remained deaf.

"Mm, so good." Igarashi licked up a bite of ice cream, and then ran his tongue over his lips.

Mei stared at him, momentarily stunned to deafness.

"It's good," the dark haired male insisted. His smile was unexpectedly sweet and innocent, causing Mei's heart to skip a beat. "How's yours?"

 _Goodness_... Mei thought to herself quietly as she gawked. He looked so adorable and endearing to her that she didn't know what to do with the feeling.

"Um, it's good. The strawberry is very yummy."

Hearing her praise, Igarashi grinned sweetly. "I'm glad to hear it."

Mei's heart sang as she gazed up at his face. It was like she was seeing a whole other side of Igarashi, one that was more innocent. _Who wouldn't want it be around him?_

A small smile spread across her face as she watched him, and Igarashi turned to stare at her.

"Want to try mine?" He offered his ice cream out to her and she flushed.

"Err." Mei squirmed, flustered yet she wanted to accept. Meanwhile, the girls behind their table appeared to be stalking over.

"If you don't, that's okay." The dark haired male kindly assured her, but there was a darkness blotting his eyes. "But I'd like to taste yours."

"O-oh, um, alright. That's—"

Upon giving her consent, a large hand wrapped around Mei's wrist and Igarashi brought her ice cream to his lips. He bit down on the dessert before skillfully licking over it once with the tip of his tongue.

Swallowing down the sweetness with hum of approval, he smirked at her. "You're right. It's delicious."

The approaching girls saw the entire exchange and stood with mouths agape. When Mei made eye contact with the one who wanted to exchange numbers with the man across from her, she boldly grasped Igarashi's wrist—bringing his chocolate ice cream to her lips.

Blinking up at him as she pulled away, Mei also nodded in approval. "Yours also tastes good."

Igarashi stared at her, speechless. _Damn Mei..._

She blushed as she thought about her boldness, but felt relieved as the girl's scurried away. _What if I'm being too intrusive though_? Mei's thoughts jumped to Igarashi's friend, Kae, and the consideration of Igarashi's feelings.

Unable to hold it in any longer, she asked him. "Do you have someone you like, Igarashi-san?" _Is it your friend?_

Igarashi froze, a little panicked before softly sighing. "I do, actually."

Her brow creased. "Is it one-sided love for you?"

"Maybe," he stiffened in reply. _Is she trying to push me away from her? Did she find out that I like being with her without the excuse of the manga practice stuff?_

"I see..." Mei avoided his eyes, focusing her emotions on the sky above them. _Is it one sided though? Maybe his friend actually likes him back and I'm just getting in the way._

Mei's heart raged as the desire to help Igarashi be happy pushed forward. _He's only helping me with the manga after all, it's not like he likes me like that. Koya was right_.

While Mei helplessly pondered the issue, she didn't notice that the man in question was still staring at her. Nor did she notice the sad, almost pained expression that briefly flickered across his face.

 **A/N** : Ahh, another long editing process that just filled with anime and manga material. Otaku alert here, apparently.

Thank you thank you thank so much for all the reviews, I was bringing to wonder if I should put the story on hold. Now, I'm loving writing each chapter with fervor.

Tell me what you thinks bout this chapter!


	8. Chapter 8: Longing Memory

**All identifiable content concerning Anastasia as well as Kiss Him, Not Me does not belong to me! Code Breaker also does not belong to me. Now that we've established that disclaimer, enjoy one of my favorite quotes of Anastasia and the story.**

 **Also, there is quite a bit of mature content in this chapter so be advised! This is an M rated story and Igarashi is quite the man. *fans self***

 **Enjoy!**

 **XXX**

 **Dimitri [singing]:** Paris holds the key to her past. Yes, Princess, I've found you at last. No more pretend. You'll be gone. That's the end.

Anastasia, 1997

 **XXX**

 **Chapter 8: Longing Memory**

The tables surface had a small crack in the far right side, close to Mei's elbow and symbolizing the fissure of her nerves.

 _What am I doing_? _Igarashi-san isn't mine, yet I acted like he was my property_. _Like I was jealous of the attention he was receiving—now and in the past._ She turned away, frustrated tears suddenly threatened so she attempted to blink them back. Busying her hands, she licked the ice cream in her hand and shared an indirect kiss. But it tasted like nothing, empty and the texture claylike.

Mei could feel him looking at her and yet prayed he would not question her actions.

"What's wrong?" Igarashi asked, a concerned look appearing on his face. He reached a hand out and paused, the caring gesture suspended in air like a anxious finger lingering on a send button.

"It's nothing," Mei denied as she continued to hide her face. Mei couldn't help the tear that silently fell due to the kindness in his voice.

 _Did I push her too far?_ Igarashi thought worriedly, fraying at the ends to understand this woman. _She jumps me practically everyday we interact and yet all I did was lick her ice cream. And she boldly returned the favor!_

Then Igarashi began imagining the reaction was caused by something much worse; anxiety caused by his words.

Continuing his original path to her, Igarashi grasped Mei's chin with his thumb and index finger then peered into her face. "Let's get out of here."

However, Mei interpreted it quite differently. _Times up_. _I'm finished with you._ _He really does think I'm a pathetic_ mess. She felt her stomach drop.

Mei's heart squeezed painfully at the thought of missing and being away from him again. And that fact made her feel frustrated all over again. _Crap; this feeling is... I really like Igarashi._

The pressure grew in her chest until, before the sensation clawed up her throat, she felt strangled.

In such a short time, Mei had developed strong feelings for him. _No...This isn't just like, is it?_ Her mind continued to toil for a reasonable explanation.

After Igarashi gently grabbed Mei's wrist, they left the shop hurriedly. And, as a strong breeze ruffled their clothes, there was an impregnable tension that wrapped around the two. Igarashi fell silent as well, but that didn't stop the frustration from building up inside him. He stared silently at Mei's downcast eyes and lowered head.

Meanwhile, the mixed-emotioned woman was still lost in her own thoughts—wondering if her affections for Igarashi were due to him being similar to so many of the 2D men that she fawned over. _Am I projecting these feelings onto him because he's been accepting of my otaku-ness? He's so kind..._

Stopping suddenly, Igarashi gently turned her body so that she was facing him. That was when she noticed the complex mixture of concern and bewilderment contorting his face.

Reaching out a hand, she gently caressed his cheek. "Igarashi-san?"

Now that her feelings for him had been awakened and honed, it felt like the emotion would crush her.

She wanted desperately to see him smile in that genuine, carefree way again.

"Mei... what's wrong?" He pled in a whisper. "If it's something I did—"

Dark eyes widened, panicked at the misunderstanding. "What? No, no! You didn't do anything wrong, Igarashi-san."

"Are you sure about that?" His mouth was a firm line, eyes downcast and distant.

Sliding her hand slightly, Mei curled her fingers around his ears. "You're shaking. Are you cold?"

Igarashi refrained from answering, but pulled Mei close by the waist. He laid his head in the crook of her shoulder, his arms tight around her small frame as he basked in her warmth. _What am I doing_? _Am I going to mess up again?_ After the though, he also felt a sense of shame for comparing her, yet again, to Kae.

"I—um, just want to stay like this for a bit; is that okay?" He whispered against a lock of her brown hair. He needed to bury the frustration quickly.

Mei nodded quietly. "Yes, but... did something happen?" She placed a calm hand against Igarashi's warm shoulder, stroking down his arm as though to soothe him. "Did I do—"

Squeezing her tightly, he halted her words.

"Nothing," he gruffly interrupted her self-blame as he tried to collect himself. _Get it together, idiot. You've let emotions run your life before and that ended up in disaster. She's going to think you're pathetic soon._ Inside his head, a war raged.

Meanwhile, Mei wanted to press him further but held back, unsure what was wrong or what she should do.

 _Is he getting sick_? Mei worried and tried to reason that he was just tired. "Are you tired?"

"Mmm, yeah. Tired." There was no emotion in his murmur. Despite his answer, there seemed to be more to it than exhaustion. When he met her eyes, a forced smile graced his face. "But I don't want to go home just yet."

Geez. Her thoughts were frantic to get him to be carefree and smiling again. _But how can I do that?_

After slight hesitation, Mei grasped his hand and urged him forward, a fierce look of determination in her eyes.

"Mei?" He questioned as he was pulled forward quite forcefully. "Where are you taking me?"

"Well... I'd like you to show me your favorite place to go," Mei said ruefully as she continued to tug on his hand. "But if it's not this way, tell me and we'll turn around."

"What?" He sounded confused, but the brazen way she dragged him down the sidewalk replaced his worried state with astonishment.

Suddenly pausing her quick pace, Igarashi nearly barreled into Mei with a startled yelp. "Mei?" He said her name, questioning what her next move was going to be.

"You're always doing what I want for the sake of my drawing and helping me work out whatever ideas pop into my head. You're so kind to me and yet...I know almost nothing about what you like—"

Igarashi chuckled, the sound a bit dry and forced, as he locked eyes with her. "You know that I enjoy soccer," he evasively pointed out.

Mei frowned up at him. "I want to know more than that," was her stubborn response.

"More about what?" Green eyes narrowed and darkened while he teased her. _I'm being selfish, but I want to hear her say it. I want her to want me and know—truly—that she'd pick me_.

Mei stared at him, uncertain of how to tell him properly without too much embarrassment.

"Is this about your manga? Is that why you're asking?" Igarashi's tone darkened slightly, barely noticeable to anyone who didn't know him well. _My heart is not a game._

"N-no!" Brown hair whipped side to side like a frantic storm. "I want to know more about you, Igarashi-san."

Igarashi raised his eyebrow in curiosity, and then nodded his head. A small, satisfied smile graced his face. "So you want to know where I like to go? My favorite place?"

Noticing the shadow in his expression lessen, Mei nodded with a smile. "Yes. I'd like to know that very much."

"How about I guide you there?" He nodded off in the direction behind them.

Mei smiled back at him and softly accepted his request, only for him to grasp her hand.

While attempting to walk up over a raised part of the sidewalk, Mei's legs felt strangely weak and she stumbled a bit as she tried to straighten herself out. But before she could fall on her butt, Igarashi's strong hands caught by grasping tightly at her hips.

"Easy there," the dark haired man gently cautioned. His hands were simply stroking the curve of her hips, yet Mei felt enough warmth build up inside to leave her trembling.

Mei stared into his darkened green eyes and sighed wistfully. "Sorry. Thank you for helping me again. I'm terribly flawed as always."

"No, you're not." Mei turned her head to gaze up at his face and his hot breath grazed her ear. His voice was gentle with a sensual edge. "If you were so terrible, I would be able to take my eyes off of you."

She simply stared at him, wondering if she'd imagined what he'd said or if this was all just a dream.

"Let's go then, Mei-chan." With that, he took them on a long path, crossing various streets until the streets were growing dark.

Eventually they entered an empty park area sheltered between stone walls, trees, and entangled vines. When they reached their destination, Igarashi dropped her hand and glanced around the park.

Aside from the hushed sound of birds chatting in the trees, they were alone.

She stared around, incredulous of the subtle beauty. "Wow, it's so refreshing here. Like being in a fairytale or fairy forest."

"Usually it's filled with flowers when the weather's warmer," Igarashi commented in appreciation. "It's always so peaceful, though. I've actually been wanting to show you this place."

Swallowing her pride, she made a suggestion. "Your friend would probably think it's enchanting here, too. It'd be perfect to have a picnic or something."

Igarashi chuckled. "Are you talking about Nana?" His shoulders trembled at the thought of bringing Nana here with a picnic basket. It wasn't hard to imagine Nana overreacting in that kind of situation. "Well I haven't told him or anyone about this place, actually. So it's a secret just between you and me."

Something about the words and the way Igarashi said the words made Mei's heart skip a beat. _He didn't mean anything by it—it's not like I'm special to him._ Mei had to firmly remind herself of that fact.

Before Mei could study her feelings properly, Igarashi reached out and waved his hand in front of her face _. "_ Mei _?_ You okay _?_

She blinked up at him and smiled quietly. "I'm fine," she tried to convince herself more than the man in front of her. Despite her words and insistence that they were only friends, Mei's heart seemed to soar in her chest as she looked Igarashi directly in the eye.

"It's just... Hearing that makes me feel really special, thank you. I'm sure if I come here now, I'll think of you."

Mei smiled up at him as she spoke, and Igarashi's eyes shifted away from her face, his cheeks faintly flushing.

"Will you miss me if I'm not there with you?" He was being selfish and slightly pushy again, but he wanted to hear the answer.

Mei's reply was soft, thoughtful. "Yes. I will."

 _It's not enough_. He thought greedily and pressed the issue of his insecurity. "You will what?"

Slightly flustered, Mei blushed. "I will miss you, Igarashi. When I see this place, I'll think of the secret you shared with me and treasure it—even if you decide to share it with your friend."

 _With Nana?_ He laughed at the idea again, not understanding her true meaning. "Silly manga girl. I wouldn't worry about that."

There was a brief pause in their exchange as he watched her tracing her hand over a stone wall, her fingers grazing some soft vines.

"And don't say such embarrassing things like that if you don't mean them." Igarashi sighed as he watched her hand, wishing he'd never let it go.

Mei frowned at his words, oddly bothered. She chewed on her lip, then blew out a sigh of frustration. Was it because of that girl? _Am I standing in his way?_ Mei's thoughts only down-spiraled from there.

Igarashi seemed to notice her subdued reaction, walked over to get, and patted her gently on the head as he spoke.

"Hey?"

"Mmm?" Mei softly inquired after he grabbed her hand between both of his own. He pressed gently, urging her to look at him.

Once she did, Igarashi loosened his grip on her hand, a serious look on his face. "I wanted to talk to you about something."

 _What could it be?_ Mei pondered.

"I'd like to take you to my place sometime." There was no mistaking his words nor the tone in which he said them.

"Uhhh..." Mei's thoughts spun. _What would happen if I went to his apartment?_

Igarashi raised her chin up with two of his fingers. "Mei-chan. That expression..."

Mei had difficulties concentrating while locked in his beautiful gaze, the expression in them not settling her rapid heartbeat one bit.

Arching a dark eyebrow, he frowned. "Is there a reason that you're looking so nervous?"

Mei jolted, hyper aware of the distance between them and worried over her lip. "Um, sorry!"

Igarashi's troubled mouth sighed. "Why are you apologizing? It's not like you did anything wrong."

He took her back into his arms and pulled her closer. "You don't need to be anxious about what I said. Nothing's going to happen unless you want it to."

Before Mei realized it, Igarashi had her pressed against the wall. Her heart pounding loudly as her back met the hard surface.

Igarashi leaned closer, until their lips were almost touching. "I missed seeing you... Did you know that, Mei-chan?"

"You did?"

He slid an arm around her waist, tugging her body until she was flush against him. "Yes. And now—every time I visit this place—I'll think of you, too."

Momentarily staring into her face, Igarashi checked for any signs of discomfort on Mei's face. After finding none, he kissed her softly with warm, gentle pecks. His kisses were sweet and tender, and she smiled against his lips as she returned each one.

 _Am I simply a distraction for an unrequited love? I should ask._ The thought briefly entered her mind again before she forced herself to drown it.

Taking a breath, Mei opened her lips to his tongue, brushed it with her own, and melted into him as he sweetly swept inside her mouth.

Upon hearing a moan escape Mei's lips, Igarashi's arms tightened around her as his tongue continued to gently explore.

Intertwining his legs with hers slightly, he lightly nipped at Mei's lower lip then smoothed his tongue over it as if to soothe any pain.

When he heard another soft moan, he pulled back and placed his hands against the wall beside her head, caging her as he panted. "Wow. You're something else, Mei."

Taking a shaky breath, Mei gazed up at him with a small smile but then a drop of water fell onto her cheek. "Uh-oh," she managed as she glanced at the dark clouds looming in the sky.

Igarashi stepped away, but grabbed Mei's hand as his eyes focused on the glistening drops that were beginning to scatter from above. "We probably should hurry back. Come with me."

They ran through the streets, laughing with absurdity when a car splashed them with a puddle. A boom of thunder signaled that the storm didn't intended to stop anytime soon, and the rain grew heavier.

"My place is closer from here. Do you want to go there instead to get out of the downpour?"

Igarashi glanced worriedly at Mei, reached a hand onto his sports bag and pulled out his soccer jacket. With one arm around Mei's shoulders, he tugged the jacket over her head to shield her from the rain.

"Thank you," she whispered while gawking at him. Beads of rain trailed down the sides of his face and his hair was drenched. _Still... He looks so beautiful._ She thought desperately.

Their eyes met, the dark haired male's face near to her own, and her heart spurred out of control. "Igarashi..."

Igarashi tilted his head slightly in confusion, and Mei reached out to grasp his shirt.

Following a hard swallow, Mei continued to speak while trembling. "Yes. We can go to your place."

His eyes widened in surprise for a moment, and then he grinned. This time his smile was bright and genuine, and the sight filled Mei with happiness.

 _A little longer. I just want to be with her a little longer without pretending._ Igarashi promised himself.

XXX

When they entered Igarashi's apartment, Mei gulped at how quiet and dark it was inside. He clicked on a few lights as he stepped out of his shoes and gestured for Mei to follow him.

Dark locks of hair fell into his eyes as he tilted his head, anxiously looking at her as he smiled. "You're soaked. The shower is this first door here." He gestured to the door down the hallway. "I'll get you some dry clothes and a towel so you can warm up."

There was something about his smile that unsettled her. It was a fake smile that called out for help.

"You're smile..." Mei commented with a squint of her eyes as she grabbed his hands to rub warmth into them. "It's like Ogami's deceitful smile."

Igarashi frowned, limbs paralyzed and eyes wide. "What are you talking about?"

Mei's brow creased further and she frowned as well. "You're lying. Your smile isn't your genuine one." The warmth in his hand still wasn't enough, so Mei lightly blew on each finger to force budding heat as his face began to regain color.

His gazed dimmed as he thought about what she said. _How did she know that I was forcing a smile? Can she see that I'm anxious of her potential rejection?_

With a sigh, Igarashi brushed the locks of rain-soaked hair behind her ears with wet hands. "You should go shower before you get sick."

"Not right now." Mei reached up and wrapped her arms around him, gently stroking his back. "Let yourself feel whatever's bothering you. Don't push yourself for my benefit."

Mei stayed there with her arms tightly settled around his shoulders, listening to his quiet breathing until he was ready.

Without warning, he reached out and grabbed hold of Mei, pulling her towards the sofa in the living room and into his arms.

 _I brought her here. Now what am I going to do...? Would she accept me if I told her the truth?_ Igarashi leaned back to catch Mei's eye, bright eyes sparkling with curiosity and anxiousness, and she blushed at his intensity.

"Yūsuke," she whispered his name softly. A smile lit up Igarashi's face at her careful choice of words.

Then he slid one of his arms around her waist, leaning close to whisper in her ear. "I like when you call my name." It eased the tension in his pulsing heart.

At that point, they were both shivering from emotion, the cold, or a mixture of both. Mei captured one of Igarashi's hands, startled to find it icy to the touch.

And no matter how much time Mei spent clenching Igarashi's hand, his fingers were still frigid. She pressed them to her mouth, catching them between her lips for a soft kiss before blowing warmth onto them again.

Wide eyes gazed at her, attentive with his voice raw. "What are we doing Mei?"

"I—I don't know." Nestling one of her hands into dark-as-night locks of hair, Mei pressed her lips against his in a soft kiss.

Dark strands fell into his eyes as he leaned towards her, his fingers brushed her bangs aside before he placed a kiss on her forehead.

"That's okay."

Mei was happy to hear the encouraging words, yet her thoughts lingered with doubts for some reason.

Igarashi narrowed his eyes at the silence that followed, his expression slightly amused. Without warning he lifted Mei and brought her closer, placing her on his lap.

"Igarashi-san!" Mei spoke hastily. I'm soaked!"

Pale green eyes questioned her innocently. "What's wrong? My, you look as red as an apple."

Mei's heart skipped a beat at his sweet teasing reply, her cheeks flushing redder. Opening her mouth to protest, Mei paused at the serious expression in his eyes.

"It's really okay, Mei. We're both soaked, so let's just warm up. I promise I won't do anything without your permission. Okay?"

Feeling reassured by his words, Mei nodded in reply. Finally she relaxed into his warm embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Then she noticed that his shirt was sticking to his skin, and she became flustered at the sight.

"What's wrong?" Igarashi leaned closer to catch her gaze, but she shook her head quickly.

Mei clapped a hand over her flaming face and continued to avoid his attentive eyes. "Nothing at all. Nope."

Igarashi looked hesitant, glancing down at their position. "If you say so..." But then he smirked at the sight of flushed tips of her ears, as though he had an idea of what's popped into her mind.

He narrowed his eyes thoughtfully and spoke slower, as if choosing his next words carefully. "Mei...look at me, please."

Mei lowered her eyes thoughtfully, but Igarashi caught her gently under the chin to lift her face again.

"Are you sure everything alright? Igarashi moved closer, his hand outstretched to worriedly touch her forehead. "No fever...or at least you don't feel like it. Yet you seemed dazed a moment ago."

 _It's not a from a fever._ The tiny voice in the back of Mei's mind pressed, and she felt herself blush and avoided his eyes.

Igarashi placed his hand over hers, drawing it and it's warmth to his lips. Then he placed a gentlemanly kiss to her knuckles, his eyes smiling up at her.

"Igarashi, I…" Mei started, attempting to force the words out even when she wasn't exactly sure how to form a cohesive sentence when it came to this stuff.

"You're trembling," Igarashi replied in return, a worried look upon his visage as she turned to look at him. "We should really get you into the shower before you do get a fever."

There was some truth to the observation, she _was_ trembling like it was winter. And she had realized she was scared. She'd never been so terrified in her life about _anything_ , but she had to tell him. Mei owed it to Igarashi to be honest—even though it was just feelings. "I have to tell you…something...I really should."

"No, you don't," he cut through her muddled thoughts with an understanding smile. "Don't say anything you aren't ready to say."

Meanwhile, Igarashi had concerns rolling around in his head as well. _Please... Don't push me away yet. Just a little longer. I'm not ready to let you go yet._

His sure words eased some of the anxiety that'd gunked up inside her, and Mei met his green eyed gaze directly.

I _may never find the right way to say this, but I need to try_. Mei decided before her resolve shattered. _I like you. Even if you have feelings for someone else, I have to let you know._

The warmth of his arms spread around her, and Mei leaned against his strong chest as she looked up at him. "Igarashi-"

The gentle look in his gaze stirred the emotions inside of her. "Shhh. Let's get you into some warm, dry clothes at least. It's okay if you don't feel comfortable showering here."

Igarashi smiled as he lifted her slightly into the air, his hands securing her thighs around around his waist, and she reached up just in time to coil her arms around his neck.

Igarashi peered down at her as he walked them towards his bedroom, nudged open the door, and flicked on the light before setting her down.

Mei smiled shyly up at him as he set her down on the bed. Outside there was a clap of thunder, which made her jump and the lights slightly flicker.

"I'm gonna give you some dry clothes, but they might be a bit big on you." After rummaging around in his closet, he handed her clothes and a towel and pulled off the shirt that'd been clinging to his skin.

As he worked to change out of his wet shirt and shrugged on a dry one, Mei stared at him; frozen. Swallowing thickly at the hungry look in her eyes, Igarashi bent down so that he was eye level with her.

"Mei?" He deftly buttoned his shirt while addressing her.

Her voice was an exhale as her eyes blinked at him—like she was entranced. "Y-yees?"

"Do you want me to leave the room while you change?" Another clap of thunder tagged onto the end of his question.

Mei shook her head quickly, her hand grasping the wet fabric of his pants. "No. Please...don't go."

He reached down and caught her hands in his, fingers lacing together as their breaths mingled. "Do you want me to help you?"

She blinked away from his intent gaze, slightly embarrassed at the question. _Does he find me childish right now? I don't want him to leave but..._

"How about if I close my eyes?" He raised the pinky of his right hand in a salute.

Slowly, Mei nodded her consent and Igarashi immediately slapped a hand over his eyes. "You're going to have to guide my hand, though, alright? I don't want to be grabbing at you blindly. First, raise one of your arms and, with your other hand, take my hand."

Igarashi held out his other hand for Mei to take, which she did as requested and brought his fingers to the hem of her wet shirt. With his other hand over his eyes, Igarashi frowned at her trembling hand.

"It's okay. You're alright," he assured her as he lifted her shirt up over her hip, to the swell of her chest and then used the hand over his closed eyes to effectively pull the shirt over her head. "I still have my eyes closed. Can you stand up so I can help you out of your skirt?"

With shaky legs, Mei stood as requested and the man kneeling in front of her nodded. "Okay good, now, take my hands and guide them to the sides of your skirt. And while I'm doing that, you can dry off with the towel or wrap it around yourself."

Igarashi exhaled softly as his fingertips skimmed her hips, running over her bare skin as he eased her skirt down until it was a puddle of wet fabric on the floor.

He was also dealing with another problem in his lower region, despite not seeing an inch of the newly revealed skin. "Let me know when you have the towel on, alright?"

"Okay..." She softly consented.

"Can I open my eyes now?"

"Yes," Mei replied, tugging the towel closer to herself and glanced at the clothes that he'd set out for her.

Igarashi breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. You've stopped trembling. I'm glad."

He turned around and grabbed a pair of pants to change into, his hand hovering over the button of his pants. "I'm just going to change in the closet really quick, okay? I'm still right here."

"O-okay."

As promised, he changed quickly and found Mei rolling up of the sleeves of his sweatshirt to fit her better. The pants were also too big for her slim side and he grinned widely.

"You look so—"

"Ridiculous?" Mei guessed in a teasing manner.

He shook his head, and reached out his hand to caress her cheek. "I was going to say cute, actually."

Taken by surprise by his soft warmth and words, Mei closed her eyes to focus on his light touch. His warm hand pressed upon her cheek slid down to her neck as if etching every part of her into his memory.

Then he carded his fingers into her hair, changing direction as his lips slowly pressed against her chin, jawline and rested against her earlobe. For a moment, he remained there with bated breath—as though restraining himself.

Suddenly speaking, Igarashi spoke as he buried his face into her neck. "I want to touch you, Mei."

Her breath caught at his confession.

His tone was husky, lips grazing her skin as he continued. "Do you not want me to touch you?"

Mei blindly stared at him like he was the moon shining in a sea of darkness. _I do. I do want him to touch me._ Then she shook her head quickly, processing his gentlemanly manners. "I don't...mind it. You can touch me."

Igarashi was just as quick to claim her lips in a soft kiss, and Mei's eyes fluttered shut as he pressed her back against the bed.

 _How can I make it clear that we're not pretending right now? That the fact that I want to touch her has nothing to do with a line in her manga or whatever._ Igarashi troubled himself over the matter.

"I'll take it, and you. But I hope you're ready to keep up with me." There was a challenging glint in his eyes as he grinned down at Mei, but she was nervous to match it.

"I think that I'm prepared for it," was her answer. Suddenly filled with hope and overwhelming affection, Mei sat up and pressed a kiss against the dark haired man's lips. The bold action slightly eased the worry in his heart.

Because to love someone... and not be allowed to love them is a heavy burden to bear.

One soft peck soon turned into a trembling sigh, lips opened to share warmth and passion melded their bodies together.

"I'm going to to give you an experience I haven't already shared with you."

Mei hesitated at the mischievous look he sent her.

He cupped her cheek, soothing the skin with his thumb. "Don't hesitate now, Mei-chan." He teased, caressing down her side with his other hand until she arched against him, desperately aching for more.

"Are you scared?" His fingertips toyed with her lips, but the look in his eyes was gentle. "Do you want me to keep going? I want to hear it from you."

"Yes," Mei nodded with a breathless, borderline whimsical tone.

"Yes to what?"

She gazed at his kindness, soaking in his relentless consideration for her. "I'm a little scared..." Igarashi immediately released her as she said the word, but she grabbed his hand almost forcefully. "But I trust you and I want to keep going."

"Hmmm. Alright. Tell you what, let's try this." Igarashi grinned widely at her, eyes dancing as he reached down to search beneath his bed, until he handed Mei a notebook. Next he handed her a pencil and eraser.

"Igarashi-san?" Dark eyes swam with confusion.

He studied her for a moment, a faint smile lingering on his lips, but his eyes were more serious. "Just think of this as research right now, until you get used to it. Get used to me. That way you won't be scared."

"Okay. Yeah."

Igarashi smiled like a boy filled with mischief.

His heart pounded with excitement as he kissed her skin, growing almost unbearable when she responded with a hushed little moan. He brushed his lips over her wrist and over her fingers, one by one.

The pencil Mei had been holding tight in her other hand dropped and rolled to the floor. It was soon joined by the eraser and notebook when her body squirmed with desire.

Next he moved to her ear, biting down gently on the soft flesh before he ran his tongue along the edge. Mei quivered, mouth dropping open in wordless awe.

Leaning down on one knee, he drew closer to her. He grabbed her wrist, bringing her hand to his lips.

He kissed once at her pulse point. Then she could feel his breath on her skin as his mouth down to her neck and then moved back up.

"What are you going to do?" Mei's question was breathless, lungs burning just slightly in anticipation.

Igarashi kissed her ear next, his teeth and lips tugging the lobe. "What do you think?" He asked while kissing back down her body, over her clothes. Once on her collarbone, next on crease between her breasts, and then below her belly button.

Mei's pulse sped up at the sound of his husky voice.

"Can I take off the pants your wearing?" His hand playing with the drawstring of the sweatpants.

"Mm," she murmured and helped him push down the pants. "Yes."

He tugged the pants down and off of her feet, brought his lips up to Mei's warm skin, and she had to close her eyes at the sensation.

Igarashi's tongue trailed slowly higher, pulsing against her ankle and up her leg. When he reached her inner thigh, sparks of electricity raced up hand down her body.

 _Goodness..._ Mei grasped handfuls of his dark hair, ruffling it entirely to match her toiling emotions.

Mei reached out to touch his cheek without thinking, and Igarashi paused to stare down at her while her fingers brushed over his jawline.

"Will you call out my name again?"

Igarashi's hands fell away from her body as he stared at her.

"What?"

Using his free hand, Igarashi brushed the back of his fingers against her cheek. "When you feel like it, can you say my first name again?"

 _Yūsuke_. Her heart whispered his name achingly. Mei panicked that he could sense how desperate her heart felt, but she nodded anyways. "Yes."

Igarashi caressed her lips again. "I'm going to go further with you."

"Okay," Mei breathed.

"Just tell me if you feel uncomfortable at all. Can you promise me that?"

She nodded again. "Yes, I promise."

Hearing her consent made him smile, the light in his eyes captivated her attention. Then he grabbed her right hand and brought it towards the buttons of his shirt. "Now strip me, Mei-chan."

A chuckle escaped when her eyes bugged out and he added, "just my shirt, okay?"

Mei nodded before placing both hands on his shirt, gripping lightly to start unveiling a path of bare skin. When she made it to the last one, Igarashi grasped her right hand again.

He closed his mouth over Mei's quivering fingertips, suckling and then gently kissing each one. "This tastes good but I prefer you."

Igarashi ran his tongue over the middle of Mei's hand, the tip of his tongue circling on the center of her wrist before he placed a kiss there. Followed by another short peck.

Getting closer, he lightly kissed her lips until it wasn't enough anymore. "Can I take off this, too?"

Mei glanced down as Igarashi tugged at the sweatshirt, thinking quietly before nodding. "Yes."

Listening to her reply, he smiled while pulling the sweatshirt over her head. His fingers caressed the bare skin of her neck, over her shoulders, and left behind a path of goosebumps down her arms.

Following his gentle touches were fiery kisses, raining down on her flesh like sleet bordering on a hailstorm. Then he bite down and licked, before rearing the action until moans echoed. Igarashi came back to each spot, caressing the flushed bite marks with his tongue.

His mouth traveled downward, kissing Mei's chest once, twice and then attacked. Desire-filled eyes sought out the expression of the writhing woman below him before smirking against her skin. Moving her bra aside, he sucked on her breast and Mei clutched the sides of his face with her hands, her fingers curling in pleasure.

His warm hands moved down her body, treasuring the sides of Mei's ribs until his hand slipped from her waist into her panties.

"Huuu!" A excited whimper escaped her mouth.

"Are you sensitive?" There was a devilish smirk on his lips.

"Mmm..."

"You can be honest with me here. Do you want me to back off?" He asked as his index finger stroked the edge of her outer fold, his finger drawing small circles as he waited.

At the sensation, her hips wiggled as though searching for more contact with his hand. "No, it's just I'm not used to i-it that's all. Igarashi..."

Hearing Mei moan out his name made him gather her in his arms, her back against his bare chest as he rested his head on her shoulder. At the action, Mei offered her neck to him awaiting the sensation of his hot breath on her skin.

"I can get you used to it, if it's only with me." Whispering softly against her bare skin, his breath brushed against her ear. As he said the words, he slid his hand back down her panties and urged her legs apart. "Call only my name."

 _It's come to this, hasn't it? I cannot bear the thought of another man touching her._ Igarashi groaned internally.

As he touched his lips to the nape of her neck, his hand trailed lightly over her side like flames licking to burn. A gentle smile crossed his lips seconds later, as his other hand in her panties began to move again. His index finger inching in small circles next to the entrance of her heat. It's felt wet already at the slight touch.

"Spread your legs a bit more for me. Would that be okay?"

Mei nodded and followed the request, earning a kiss on her temple.

"Good girl. Yeah, just like that, and relax." His calming words were followed by more gentle touches below, causing another moan to escape when a faint watery sound echoed.

"Nnnaa-oh!" Her head fell back, as his finger lightly twirled around her entrance but not delving inside.

"How does it feel?" Igarashi asked sweetly as he continued his ministrations, even though he could see her expression. "It doesn't hurt, does it?"

"Nnnhhh! N-No it doesn't hurt," she panted.

"Good. And have you touched your clit before?" Her eyes popped open and mouth gasped when his thumb joined in stimulating her sensitive bundle of nerves. "Mei?"

"Y-Yes, b-but it feels different now." He'd gathered some of the wetness to make his caresses smooth and enjoyable, playing with the outside of her entrance now with two fingers while his thumb rolled her now swollen bud.

But Mei wanted more, her hips pressing towards his fingers invitingly—as though asking for him to join her heat.

Igarashi gulped, shifting himself slightly. "Do you you want me to try a finger?"

Her body hummed at his question, a whimper falling from her lips.

"Tell me honestly, Mei." He directed, feeling like his head was about to explode at the amount of self-control he was practicing.

"Yes," Mei cried out and turned her head against the base of his neck. "Please. Be gentle with me."

"Always," he promised and moved his fingers intently, preparing her so that it didn't hurt. When she felt wet enough, he swirled his index finger above her heat several times before he gently pressed inside.

"There. I'm inside you. Nice and easy," he whispered. He held still, only wiggling his fingertip a slowly. "Breathe now. Good girl. Does it hurt any?"

"Huh-huu," she moaned as her hips twitched. "No, no it doesn't. Igarashi—Mmm!"

Moving his finger more, he felt her walls hug him tightly. "Call me by my first name Mei-chan."

"Mmm. What?" She squeaked in reply while he took his hand out of her panties and pushed her back so he was hovering over her again. He didn't want to be too greedy with her.

Slowly, Igarashi mouthed a line of eager kisses down Mei's neck to her shoulder and nipped at the flesh above her cleavage. "My first name. Please say it."

"Y-Yūsuke," Mei softly said his name, entranced by the gentle way he held her and the persistent heat of his kisses. It was an lethal combination; almost like a drug.

"Mei," he replied against her skin. One of his hands traveled up her neck, kindling heat for an inferno before his hand entwined in her brown hair.

When he pressed a kiss against the side of her neck, Mei breathed out a sigh of pleasure that made him smile. Then he bit at her neck with soft, playful bites again to draw out more pleasant sounds.

His teeth grazed and then closed around her sensitive nape, tugging with the precise amount of pressure to cause delicious shivers. Mei was reaching her breaking point.

"Iga—" The girl beneath him bit off his surname when he pulled back, gazing down at her. "I'm mean...Yūsuke."

He awarded her a sweet smile. "My my, Mei. I do believe you were arching your back, did you like that?"

"What about you?" She whispered the words into the dark locks of his hair.

"Me?" The disheveled man panted above her.

"Mmhmm. I want to make you feel good, too."

Frowning slightly, Igarashi caressed her cheek. "Yeah, you say that but I can tell you're nervous so don't have to do worry about it."

Mei surrendered her mind, tossing her concerns into the fog of desire. She wanted to touch him, even if it was just a little bit.

"Yūsuke—" She placed a kiss and then followed it with a sweet bite on Igarashi's neck, teasing him with a tip of tongue.

Igarashi gasped softly at the touch, his low moan echoed. "Unfair." His hazy gaze was filled with lust.

He caught the toying woman by the shoulders and lowered her back onto the bed, settling down beside her on his bed. "Let's cool down a bit. Take it slow."

Igarashi closed his eyes as Mei ran her hand through his hair. After a moment of calm humming, he opened his eyes to see Mei gently smile as she continued to stroke his hair.

"Yūsuke?"

"What is it?" He paused in question.

"I think that you're wonderful."

Stroking Mei's cheek with his finger, he whispered back. "You're quite the woman, Mei." _And I really like you_. His mind added with a sigh. _No more pretending this is for the sake of your manga_.

"Igarashi-san?" The corners of her mouth were turned down and a crease formed between her eyebrows. Meanwhile, Igarashi's froze at the formal address—it just didn't make sense after they'd been so intimate.

But he could also tell that she looked ready to faint from nervousness, so he reached out a hand and smoothed out her creased forehead. "Whoa. Take a deep breath and let it out before you say whatever it's you want to say."

Taking up the advice, Mei took about three lungfuls of air and exhaled. She was very close to slapping her cheeks to pump herself up as well. Instead she swallowed her panic and locked eyes with the man worrying over her.

"Igarashi-san?" She addressed him while thinking, _if he doesn't like me it's okay._

"Yes?" One dark eyebrow raised in amusement at her newfound determination. An easy smile began to spread across his face in effort to encourage her.

"Will you go out with me?"

Igarashi froze at her question.

 **XXX**

 **A/N:**

 **Dang, this was a long writing process that I'm sure has some flaws I missed.**

 **Please let me know what you think!**


End file.
